DanganRonpa Adaptation to Despair Academy
by JustAnotherAuthor64
Summary: A retelling of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Only now, there is one element that has thrown a wrench into everyone's favorite despairing Mastermind's plans. One SHSL student whose skills and talents are identical to the Mastermind of the Killing Game. How will this new person's presence affect the Killing School Life? Find out in Danganropna: Adaptation to Despair Academy.
1. Prologue Part 1: The 16th Student

**Disclaimer:** **DanganRonpa belongs to Chunsoft, Spike and their respective associates. I do not own any of DanganRonpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Note: Greetings to all viewers. Welcome to the DanganRonpa fanction: Adaptation to Despair Academy. This is something that I have been wanting to write for quite some time and I have decided to give this a shot. This is my first story so, please do not be too harsh with criticisms involving quality. As long as my schedule allows, I will be making updates to this story at least every two to three weeks. Anyways, enjoy the story.  
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For many, today was just a normal day. But for one person, today was a very special day. It was the start of a new chapter for that person's life. Our story takes us to a teenager who is currently riding a train. He is about 167 cm tall; he also has clear, white skin with short, black hair with dark brown eyes to match. Today, he chose to wear a gray shirt with a black, slightly opened jacket with plain blue jeans and black sneakers. Right now, he is just waiting as the train takes him to his destination.

 _"This is it."_ the teenager thought to himself.

 _"Today the day that my life at Hope's Peak Academy begins."_ Unable to contain his excitement, he decided to go over the information he had managed to collect about the school.

 _"Hope's Peak Academy is a government sanctioned private school that has been created for harvesting talent. The school has been consistently bringing forth some of the best and brightest of individuals for centuries. The school has the end goal of creating hope for the future, hence the school name. There are two requirements that you must have to attend this school. First, you must be currently attending high school. Second, you must be the very best at what you do. There is no application process, instead you are scouted by the school itself. As to what you are scouted for, it can be anything from the amazing to the absurd. Those who are selected by the school to join are known by most of the outside world as "Ultimates". However, the official school title is Super High School Level (SHSL for short) and afterwards whatever the talent you were selected to join the school for. Interestingly, according to some resources that I found, there is a branch of Hope's Peak that anyone that has the resources to do so can enter, irrespective if they have a talent or not. Additionally, there has been rumors about the school having some ethically questionable practices. Sadly, I couldn't procure any more information without risking walking into dangerous territory. Oh well, if need be, I can always investigate the matter latter."_ Before the teenager could continue his train of thought, the train arrived at its destination.

Unfortunately, the train did not take him directly to the school itself. It would still be around another twenty minutes on foot to his destination.

 _"It's a good thing that I left when I did so that I have some time to look around the school. While photographs of the place are nice, it's not the same as exploring the school yourself. Still, I am glad everything went exactly as I planned and I got accepted. I don't think I will be able to forget the expression on the scout's face when he realized that all the times we crossed paths was all a part of my plan from the start. I just hope my teammates over at the precinct will be okay while I'm gone._

 _"Ah, that's right!"_

 _"I have to make sure that I let them know that today went as planned once the opening ceremony is over. It would be rather troublesome if they ended up bargaining into the school grounds assuming the worst unnecessarily."_

Once more, the teenager found his train of thought interrupted when he spotted someone. Just outside the gates to Hope's Peak, he saw another teenager. He was a bit shorter than him with an unmistakable ahoge. As for the rest of his appearance, he seemed to pretty much be the epitome of average, much like a protagonist of a novel. He, for whatever reason, was just staring at the Academy.

He decided to try and figure out who he was.

"Are you a new student of Hope's Peak Academy as well?"

The teen with the ahoge was clearly caught off guard by voice he just heard. He turned to his right to find that the teenager with short, black hair was standing a few feet away from him.

He responded "Yeah, I just got accepted a few days ago."

 _"Hmm..."_ the dark-haired teen pondered. _"Since I could track the movements of the school scouts, I was able to figure out who most of my classmates were going to be and with that I was also able to get a basic idea as to the characteristics of each person. However, including myself, out of the original 15 students that were to be a part of the new class, two of them I was never able to identify. In addition to that, one more student was added into our class roster at nearly the last minute and I didn't have any time to identify that person either. He must be among one of those three individuals."_ Deciding to save the wondering for later, the dark-haired teen spoke up.

"Well then, allow me to introduce myself. I am Fumio Kuramoto."

"Nice to meet you, Kuramoto-san." The teen with the ahoge replied. "My name is Makoto Naegi."

"Likewise, Naegi-san." Kuramoto responded. "By the way, may I ask why you were staring at the Academy?" Kuramoto inquired.

"Oh, heheheheh..."Naegi chuckled as he put his hand behind head. " I guess I'm kinda nervous. You know, about attending this school."

"That's understandable." Kuramoto said reassuringly. "Anyways, I was planning on exploring the school to get an idea on where everything is located. Would you like to accompany me?" Kuramoto asked.

Naegi gave Kuramoto a smile and said "Sure, I'd love to."

Not wanting to use up any more time, the newly formed duo went past the main gate and proceeded to walk to the main entrance.

 _"To be honest, I am somewhat surprised."_ Naegi thought to himself. _"I would have thought that someone like him would be much less approachable."_

As both Kuramoto and Naegi went inside the Academy after opening the doors, a strange phenomenon happened.

 _"Huh? What...'s..going...on?"_

Almost instantly, it was as though all of Kuramoto senses were being assaulted with so many different sights, sounds and other sensations simultaneously that it was impossible to process any of them. Before he even had the chance to even attempt to understand what had just happened, darkness had overtaken his mind.

* * *

...

...

...

 _"Hrrrnnnnggggg"_

Slowly, but surly, Kuramoto had managed to regain consciousness once more.

 _"Where...am I?" "Oh gods, I feel awful. What the hell happened?"_

Kuramoto's head felt like as though he was hit with a sledgehammer. In addition to that, a massive wave of nausea hit him as soon as he arose from the seat he was sitting. To distract himself from the physical trauma his body was going through, he tried to investigate the room he was in. It was all he could do to prevent getting sick on the spot.

 _"A classroom?"_ Kuramoto pondered _._

On his right, he could see what looked like to be some type of monitor that was currently turned. On his left, he could see a security camera as well as what appeared to be iron plates at where the classroom windows should have been. Unfortunately, they were stuck in place and there was no way that they could be removed without any tools at hand. However, what caught Kuramoto's attention the most was that he saw someone else in the classroom. Sitting down with her head on the desk, just like he did up until a few moments ago, was a female who was roughly the same height as he was. Her complexion was paler than Kuramoto 's and she had long, braided lavender hair. For attire, she had a dark purple jacket with a black skirt.

Kuramoto went over to her desk and gently nudged her shoulder.

"Hey, wake up."

She stirred for a few moments and then she opened her eyes.

"Who...are you?"

She got up from her seat and asked again.

"Who are you and what's going on?"

"I don't know." Kuramoto responded. "I just woke up a few moments ago. I have no idea where this is or how I got here."

The newly awoken girl quietly began observing her surroundings and after some time of total silence she began to speak once more

"You said you had no idea as to where this place is or how you got here, correct?"

Kuramoto nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

"..."

"If that's true, then it can't simply be a coincidence."

It didn't take long for Kuramoto to piece together what this mysterious individual was insulating.

"Are you saying that you can't remember, either?"

The girl silently nodded.

 _"What the hell is going on!? Where are we and why can't I-"_

As Kuramoto desperately tried to search his memories for an answer to this troublesome situation, his train of thought was cut off when the migraine and nausea grew worse.

"huuurrrggghh"

"Are you alright?" the girl asked.

 _"Come on, surely there must be something I can remember. There is no way that I could have completely forgotten that-"_

At that point, it became too much for Kuramoto to bear. He was on his knees now and shortly after, he threw up on the floor.

"Eaaauugugghhhhhh".

His earlier headache had gone well past the tolerable point, Kuramoto couldn't concentrate on anything other than the pain his head was going through. In the next moment, a brief flash of insight came to him.

 _"Dammit, how did it come to this? Stay awake, you must not forget! Your life and the lives of those you care for hang in the balance!"_

The insight vanished as quickly as it came. After that, another flash of insight came and vanished, and another one followed suit. The process repeated itself for about two minutes. Afterwards, the nausea and migraine came to a halt. Kuramoto began of get up once more.

"Are you ok?" The mysterious girl asked.

"I think so." Kuramoto replied. "The worst of it seems to be over for the moment. I'm not sure as to how, but I have recovered a few memories."

"Is that so?" the girl asked skeptically. "So, what can you remember?"

"I remember where this place is and as well what happened just before I lost consciousness. This is the school Hope's Peak Academy, I remember doing a lot research prior to coming here, both about the school itself as well as my classmates. As for what happened just before my memory was cut off, I was on a train on my way to Hope's Peak and I was also walking towards the school entrance with another student. "

"..."

"Also, while it's less relevant to this situation, I did also remember who I was and my talent." Kuramoto added.

"I see.." the lavender girl said.

"Well, it that case." she continued. "Why don't get introductions out of the way before we move on."

"Ok, sure. Since you did offer, why don't we start with you?" Kuramoto suggested.

"..."

"My name is Kyoko Kirigiri."

"What about your talent?" Kuramoto asked.

"That's the problem." Kirigiri replied. "I cannot remember anything about my talent."

"I understand." Kuramoto stated.

"As for me, my name is Fumio Kuramoto and my talent is the SHSL Mastermind" Kuramoto continued.

* * *

 **Author Note: That's the end of this part of the prologue. I hope you all have enjoyed this. Please leave a review if you did or if you have any suggestions or ideas on how to improve this story. See you next time.**


	2. Prologue Part 2: Meeting Class 78

**Disclaimer:** **DanganRonpa belongs to Chunsoft, Spike and their respective associates. I do not own any of DanganRonpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Note:** ** _Insert generic excuse as to why the previous deadline couldn't be met here._** **Hopefully the much longer chapter will make up for this one being a bit late. Anyways, apologizes for being late and I hope you enjoy this new part.  
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After the introductions, both Kuramoto and Kirigiri left the room and found themselves in the hallway. With a bit of discussion beforehand, they decided to try and go to the entrance hall first. Curious as to what this new person knew, Kirigiri decided to break the silence between the two.

"You said that you did research prior to coming here to Hope's Peak."

"Yes, that's right" Kuramoto replied.

"Could you tell more about what you know about this place?" Kirigiri inquired.

"Outside of the very basic bits of information that nearly everyone is aware of, my main focus was of the school staff, history of the school itself, that sort of thing. Perhaps the most relevant to our situation would be researching who my classmates are as well as having a basic profile on each of them." Kuramoto articulated.

"Is there any chance that you know anything about me?" Kirigiri asked.

"Unfortunately, no. While I was able to find information for the majority of the class, there were 3 people I was not figure who would be my classmates. While one was expected, one other I was at a complete loss and the last was a latecomer to Hope's Peak." Kuramoto stated dishearteningly.

"..."

"However, I may have a possible lead that could have some answers for you. The school's headmaster shares the same surname as you, his name is Jin Kirigiri."

Kirigiri's normally stoic expression made a subtle flinch. Most people wouldn't have caught it, but Kuramoto did and very curious as to what that reaction was all about, Kuramoto asked:

"Kirigiri-san, are you okay?"

"..."

"Thank you, Kuramoto-san. I'll be looking into the matter whenever I get a chance." Kirigiri finally replied.

"No problem. So, what about you? Can you really not remember anything?" Kuramoto responded.

"Not really, I really can't remember much at all." Kirigiri replied.

"Eh. Don't worry about it. I'm sure you eventually remember." Kuramoto said.

" _Either she really doesn't remember or doesn't want to talk about it. I suppose her skepticism is understandable given the circumstances. Still, if both of us are suffering amnesia, it seems a bit excessive to not only ensure we can't remember how we got here, but to have most of our memories erased wholesale. Is there a specific reason as to why they had to be removed?"_ Kuramoto pondered.

After a few more minutes of silence, the two of them managed to reach the entrance hall.

Where should have been a door, there was instead a giant metal hatch. Just like in the classroom, there was also a security camera and monitor here as well. An addition that was unique to the was the Gatling gun that was above the metal hatch. But what caught the attention of both Kuramoto and Kirigiri was the 14 other people that were in the room.

"Here comes two more." A fat guy in glasses said.

"Are you new students as well?" A girl with blue hair and eyes asked.

"Yes, that's correct." Kuramoto responded.

"Kuramoto-san?" A voice asked that Kuramoto recognized.

Kuramoto turned to origin of the voice to find that Naegi was among this group of people.

"Naegi-san, is that you?" Kuramoto asked.

"You two know each other?" The blue haired girl asked.

"Somewhat, we did meet just outside the main gate of Hope's Peak." Kuramoto replied.

"So, including these two, there are sixteen students. It should be the right amount." Naegi said.

"Before anything else, there is another issue that needs to be addressed." another student shouted.

The student stepped forward and reveal himself to be a male student with short, dark hair with very big eyebrows.

"You were supposed to show up at 8 o'clock sharp! It is unacceptable for you two be late on your first day!"

Before either Kuramoto or Kirigiri could form a rebuttal to this individual's skewed priorities, a girl with black hair and intense purple-grey eyes spoke up.

"Calm down. I doubt these two wanted to be late."

"She's right." Kirigiri quickly added. "Both of us just recently woke up to find ourselves in this bizarre situation."

"You guys too, huh." A red head with goatee replied.

"This situation continues to get more and more peculiar." A girl in gothic clothing.

"I have an idea! Why don't we all introduce ourselves." A tan girl in a sports jacket stated.

"The hell!? This isn't the time for freaking introductions!" A guy with a pompadour and leather jacket shouted.

"Maybe, but it would be best to find who we all are before going into bigger problems. It will be difficult to talk to one another if we don't even know each other's name." The girl in gothic clothing responded.

"Very well, let's go ahead and get introductions out of the way and afterwards we can assess the situation." Kuramoto stated.

Kirigiri and Kuramoto turned to one another and nodded before parting ways.

" _Kyoko Kirigiri. She's quite the mysterious one to say the least. The biggest one lies with whether or not she shares the same name as the headmaster is simply a coincidence. I have no idea as to what her talent might be and I have too little information about her in order to make any reasonable guesses as to what that might be. On the hand, she is quite level headed, even more so considering she has lost her memories. Perhaps she might be worth keeping my eyes open as a potential ally, especially if this scenario is as hazardous as I am thinking it might be."_ Kuramoto thought to himself.

The first person that Kuramoto crossed paths with was the same person that critiqued him earlier.

"I am Kiyotaka Ishimaru and I believe in bold simplicity! Let's work together in our educational crusade!" Ishimaru stated introducing himself.

" _Kiyotaka Ishimaru. A flawless honor student at a private school. He is most renowned for his work at the Public Morals committee at that location. He is a very studious individual that believes rules and authority trump all else. A very uncompromising individual when it comes to what he believes is right. Befitting for someone that has the title of SHSL Prefect."_

" _Taking a closer look at him, the uniform he is wearing isn't just clean. It's spotless. If it's true that Ishimaru-san is related to the former Prime Minister, he shouldn't have the resources to straight up buy new uniforms. That's some very impressive care and attention to detail."_

"What is you name?" Ishimaru asked.

"Fumio Kuramoto." Kuramoto replied.

Ishimaru eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

"That's a fine name! You should thank you family members for giving you such a great name! " Ishimaru shouted.

Kuramoto was somewhat taken aback by the constant shouting, but it looks like Ishimaru wasn't done just yet.

"And in order to ensure that name doesn't lose value, you must devote yourself very day. After all, life's what you put into, right?"

"While I don't really care much about what my name means to others, I know exactly what you mean." Kuramoto asserted. "It's those who are willing to put forth the time and effort into what they do that will get far in life."

Ishimaru's eyes to lit up even more than what they were before.

"Haha, excellent! It's good to see that there are others out there who understand the importance of hard work!" Ishimaru exclaimed.

"Anyways. I would like to continue introducing myself to the rest of my classmates." Ishimaru continued. " I hope we can talk again sometime."

"Likewise." Kuramoto reciprocated.

Kuramoto went to the next individual.

" _He's a bit too loud for my liking, but he'll definitely be a reliable individual."_ Kuramoto concluded.

"Greetings, I am Fumio Kuramoto." Kuramoto stated to the new person now in front of him.

"Y-You'll probably j-just forget my n-name anyway. It's Toko Fukawa." Fukawa stuttered out.

" _Toko Fukawa, the SHSL Literature Writer. Her occupation as a writer started after she wrote her first book at the age of ten. Her most iconic of novels hers is a romance novel called So Lingers the Ocean. She has been consistently winning literary awards and nearly all of her writings have been best sellers."_

" _Personality wise, the biggest thing to consider is the massive inferiority complex she has. I will need to be cautious of the words that I say and my approach."_

"Toko Fukawa, as in the famous romance author?" Kuramoto inquired.

"Y-Yeah, that's right." Fukawa confirmed.

" _Hmm. Ah! I do remember the details of that book, maybe bringing it up might..."_

"Wh-What? It's rude to stare, you know." Fukawa said nervously. Before, Kuramoto could conjure a reply, Fukawa continued speaking, in a much more defensive tone. "Don't look at me like some filthy creature!"

"My apologies if my look of me being in thought translated to you as staring." Kuramoto camly stated.

"Y-Yeah, sure. You just lost for words at the sight of me!" Fukawa retorted.

"..."

"If you must know what I was thinking, I remembered one of your books that I had read." Kuramoto replied, ignoring Fukawa's previous remark.

Fukawa's eyes had widen in surprise.

"So Lingers the Ocean, I have read that book before." Kuramoto continued.

"D-Don't mock me!" Fukawa shot back. "T-There's n-n-no way that someone like you read romance novels!"

" _She does raise a fair argument. When did I learn about the book and its contents? There will likely be other questions about me that I will not be able to answer. I rather avoid lying and at the same time, I'd rather not let the others know about my amnesia. Maybe, letting my instincts do the talking might be the best choice in this."_ Kuramoto assessed.

"You're right, I am normally more of a mystery and suspense type of person when it comes to novels. However, after seeing the book as a top recommended book enough times, I let my curiosity get the better of me and I decided to check it out. It was quite the marvelous read to put it very lightly." Kuramoto answered.

Before Fukawa could make a retort, Kuramoto continued.

"Since you have brought my integrity about my previous statement into question, allow me to prove that I read the book. The story is about a young islander girl that was the daughter of the island's chief. She longed to be able to travel the world, but due to the island's traditions about marriage, she was bound to the island and her arranged marriage partner. One day, while she was daydreaming, she had encounter a handsome traveling fisherman. The two of them fell in love at first sight. Due to the previously mentioned island traditions, the islander was forced to keep the meetings and feelings of infatuation a secret. Ultimately, she end up deciding to leave the island against the wishes of her family with the fisherman. You are free to correct me if I got anything wrong about the brief summary of the book. "

Fukawa just stood there, once more in surprise.

" _H-How did he know about that? He must be lying. Y-Yeah, that's it. He just researched the book and read the summary to make it seem like he cares. But, he did say that romance wasn't his normal genre and it was for curiosity's sake as to why read the book. Maybe he is telling the truth. No, that can't be it. He has to be lying!"_

"Anyways, Fukawa-san. I suppose we will have to save this conversation for another time. I do have the other classmates to meet after all."

"..."

She didn't respond. She just stared at ground, clearly in thought.

" _I don't know why, but my instincts are telling me that's she'll be a helpful individual. It will be tiring dealing will the knee-jerk reactions, but if I am able to power through them, I can easily see her being a very loyal companion."_ Kuramoto thought to himself.

Kuramoto decided to leave it at that and move on to the next person.

"Hi, I am Sayaka Maizono. I look forward to getting to know you."

"Likewise Maizono-san, I am Fumio Kuramoto."

" _Sayaka Maizono, the SHSL Idol. She is the lead singer of an all-girls pop group that is famous across the entire nation. She and her group are in very high in demand in most media outlets. Now that I have an opportunity to see her up close, I can see as to why she is so popular. She's quite pretty, almost to the point that one who think that she's a doll or something."_ Kuramoto pondered.

"Hey! I not a doll. I'm alive, you know!" Maizono spoke up.

"What? I didn't say anything." Kuramoto said surprised.

"You didn't know? I am esper." Maizono answered in a serious tone.

"..."

"I'm just kidding! I just have really good intuition." Maizono quickly responded.

"That's some pretty sharp intuition you have." Kuramoto remarked.

"Thank you. By the way, you said your name is Fumio Kuramoto. So you're that genius that I keep hearing about that's been able to uncover scandals." Maizono said.

"Yes. What about that?" Kuramoto stated in an inquiring expression.

"I just wanted to say how both smart and brave you must be to be in order to be willing to uncover information like that." Maizono said in a happy, but still serious manner.

"Thank you." Kuramoto replied.

" _I'll have to put up a stronger front to prevent myself from being read so easily with intuition that accurate. While she seems to be sweet and courteous, I know the entertainment industry is very predatory in nature so it could definitely be a farce. I will need to be careful around her."_

"I gotta go introduce myself to the others. See you later, Maizono-san." Kuramoto spoke.

Kuramoto parted ways to with Maizono to meet the next person.

"While I would have preferred to reunite under less problematic circumstances, it's good to see you again Naegi-san." Kuramoto stated.

"It's nice to meet you again too, Kuramoto-san." Naegi replied.

" _Fumio Kuramoto. Even with his talent being the SHSL Mastermind, he is quite the enigma. While he is not really well known by most of the public, he is a very well respected and feared person in to the nation's and even most of the world's intellectual circles. His skills in strategies and tactics are second to none, defeating grandmaster chess level players and even managing to win against generals in authentic war simulations. He is most renowned for taking down multiple multi-trillion yen conglomerates. Apparently, he is the main reason why many of the scandals and other questionable practices the former conglomerates were involved in were brought to light and why the majority of the public turned against them. If his wide variety of skills and knowledge weren't enough, what truly makes him mysterious is his past or lack thereof. There is zero information about him prior to 5 years ago. It's not like anyone wasn't interested in learning about his past, it's that there is no information to be had about him, as though he didn't even exists until five years ago."_ Makoto thought to himself, remembering what he looked up about Kuramoto.

"Naegi-san, I have a question for you." Kuramoto said, shaking Naegi from his train of thought.

"What is it, Kuramoto-san?" Naegi asked.

"Are you the SHSL Luckster, perchance?" Kuramoto asked.

"!"

"I already knew about the random drawing that occurs every school year."Kuramoto added. "In addition, your nervousness, in conjunction with the fact that I am familiar with the majority of people here gave it away."

"Oh...I see" Naegi said dishearteningly.

"Hey, there's no need to put yourself down. Talent or not, you're still my classmate. Regardless of what others think, normalcy isn't exactly a bad thing on its own." Kuramoto stated.

Naegi looked at him with a look that held a bit of uncertainty.

"Tell you what, how about we drop the formalities between us." Kuramoto said, holding out his hand for Naegi to shake. "What do you say, Naegi-kun?"

Naegi looked at Kuramoto's hand for a moment before smiling at him, taking his hand.

"Ok, sure Kuramoto-kun." Naegi replied.

"You see, introductions haven't ended and you are already on favorably terms with one person." Kuramoto.

"I guess you're right." Naegi acknowledged.

"Well, I gotta get going. Take care, Naegi-kun." Kuramoto stated.

" _Naegi-kun does seem to have a bit of self-deprecating mentality. Maybe even a complex. On the other hand, once he brightened up, even I felt better as well. Perhaps he has a high amount of charisma? He will likely be a wildcard of the group, maybe even more so thank Kirigiri-san. At the very least, I got a fairly positive impression of him so far._

Kuramoto moved onto the next classmate.

"What's up! Name's Leon Kuwata" Kuwata declared.

" _Leon Kuwata, the SHSL All-star. He played as the main pitcher and cleanup hitter for his school, successfully carrying his team towards the Nationals and securing victory. From what I hear, the professional leagues have already began to scout him out. Albeit, he looks quite a bit different from what I have seen._ "

"I am Fumio Kuramoto. I see you decided to grow out your hair and grow a goatee." Kuramoto remarked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kuwata asked.

"You look different when compared to your baseball photos." Kuramoto pointed out.

"Jeez! Look, I only look like that because of the league regulations." Kuwata sighed heavily.

"In fact, I don't even like baseball. That's why I'm here, to become a musician. Kuwata continued.

"Is that so?" Kuramoto said with a somewhat curious note.

"Hell yeah! I've been practicing guitar as of late. So all I gotta do is get someone to help out with lyrics and I'm golden." Kuwata exclaimed.

" _It's looks like his resentment towards baseball is true. It does irk me a little that he's so willing to toss away something he's good at so easily. Other than that, he seems to be a fairly lax, if not a somewhat lazy individual."_

After Kuwata finished speaking, Kuramoto decided to part ways with Kuwata.

"I am known as the Alpha and the Omega! But you may call me Hifumi Yamada, I don't mind either way." Yamada bellowed.

" _Hifumi Yamada, the SHSL Doujin Author. His works are mainly composed of a doujin of a particular anime. I think it was called Demon Angel Pretty Pudgy Princess. If what I know is true, some of his works were so popular that quite a few of them were even used in the anime itself. As for his overall personality, otaku would be the one word that could be used to describe him."_

"I am Fumio Kuramoto." Kuramoto replied, ignoring the first bit Yamada spoke.

"By the way, how much do you know about the world of 2D?" Yamada inquired.

"I presume you meaning about anime, manga, doujin and like?"Kuramoto assessed. "Not much, I don't really have much time to do so. I am a very busy person."

"It's a pity. In that world, I am known as the Ultimate Doujin Author. I once sold 10,000 copies of one of my creations at a school festival, passing the event on as a legend." Yamada proclaimed.

" _He's actually not exaggerating about that. Maybe I should consider taking a look at his work later."_

"Sadly, not everyone appreciates my handiwork. Some even say I tainted the school event!" Yamada rambled on. "I'm certain that if you were to take a look, you would see and value to deeper meaning behind my art."

"Deeper meaning?" Kuramoto questioned.

" _The Great Gatsby, Animal Farm, Tzu's Art of War, To Kill a Mockingbird, these are books that immediately come to mind when I think of work that has either deep meaning or a message of great importance. Somehow, I doubt that his Doujin are anywhere near that caliber."_

"Embracing our basest urges." Yamada declared.

"..."

" _That's my cue to terminate this conversation."_

Kuramoto simply walked away, erasing any desires to see Yamada's creations.

"Hiya, I'm Aoi Asahina. Sup!" Asahina stated introducing herself.

" _Aoi Asahina, the SHSL Swimmer. She has been consistently breaking records in swimming competitions every since elementary. Heck, she has even been selected as an upcoming Olympic cadet. From what I have been able to gather, she's a very energetic person, if not somewhat of an airhead."_

"So, who are you?" Asahina asked with a thoughtful expression.

"Fumio Kuramoto." Kuramoto answered.

"Ok, got it. Thanks." Asahina stated cheerfully. She then began moving her finger on her palm muttering "Fumio Kuramoto...Fumio Kuramoto…"

"What are you doing?" Kuramoto asked inquisitively.

"You didn't know? If you write someone's name three times, you will always remember their name!" Asahina claimed.

"That's the first time I have heard of something like that." Kuramoto said.

"Are you serious!?" Asahina exclaimed. "Oh well, I got it written down now anyway, it's nice to meet you."

"Same, Asahina-san."Kuramoto responded, taken aback by the swift change in topic.

Figuring she's pretty much ended the conversation, Kuramoto decided to move along.

" _She's pretty much fits to a T what I assessed. Outside of the few mental scuffles I'm liable to have with her, she shouldn't be much trouble."_

"Hello, I'm Chihiro Fujisaki. I hope we can get along." Fujisaki shyly greeted.

" _Chihiro Fujisaki, the SHSL Programmer. She is known for her work for her cutting edges programs that see created. Her most well known work is for programming in robotics and AIs. If I remember correctly, she is related to Taichi Fujisaki, how currently works as a software engineer for multiple major technology companies. She pretty much is akin to a rabbit when it comes to personality traits, adorable and extremely shy."_

"Greetings, Fujisaki-san. I am Fumio Kuramoto." Kuramoto greeted back.

"This might sound strange but," Fujisaki hesitatingly brought up. "Have we met before?"

" _Hmm...I remember going to some AI conventions, maybe that was a part of my research? But I still don't recall meeting her face to face."_

"Not personally, at least." Kuramoto replied. "I did go a lot of AI conventions for research purposes in the past. It's very likely we might have seen one another or at least there's a good chance that you have heard of me from there."

"Oh..That's certainly a possibility."Fujisaki concluded.

" _Now that I can see her in person, something about her seems…off. I can't exactly describe it and it's going to really annoy me until I figure out what it is."_

"D-Did I do something wrong?" Fujisaki cried out, almost in tears.

"Huh?" Once more, Kuramoto was forced out his thoughts by the sudden question. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been staring at me silently for a while. Are you mad at me?" Fujisaki asked.

"Sorry." Kuramoto apologized. "I just like to pick up as much information as possible about individuals when meeting them for the first time, my stare has nothing to with viewpoint towards you."

"R-really?" Fujisaki cried out.

"Really." Kuramoto repeated.

"Phew, that's a relief!" Fujisaki sighed out. "I thought you resented me for a moment."

" _I can see why so many find her endearing. I guess I will have to satiate my curiosity later and with a different approach."_

With things cleared up between the two, Kuramoto left Fujisaki to greet his next classmate.

" _Now that I have had some time to speak to some of my classmates, it's become clear that while my ability to recall events is fairly shot, my overall knowledge base has not been touched. Generalized amnesia I believe is the term that is used to describe this condition. Either our captor was not interested in wiping out everything that I knew or they couldn't. I will need to record this information when I get a chance."_ Kuramoto thought to himself, analyzing the information he's got so far.

There was simply an almost eerie silence between Kuramoto and his new individual. Seeing that this was going nowhere, Kuramoto decided to take the initiative.

"I am Fumio Kuramoto, what's your name?"

"..."

"My name is Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier." Ikusaba finally spoke out.

" _So she's the last unknown individual amongst my class. Since Naegi-kun is the SHSL Luckster and Kirigiri-san is still a total mystery, perhaps she is the latecomer?"_

"The Ultimate Soldier? Were you a part of an overseas organization? I'm positive that you shouldn't be able to join the military here in Japan just yet." Kuramoto inquired.

"You're right. I was a part of the Fenrir mercenary group for a few years." Ikusaba answered.

" _Fenrir? I recognize that name, it's a mercenary group that is well known for being able to constantly turn the tides of conflicts with only a handful of people. One thing that I am noticing right now is that she doesn't seem to have so much as a scratch on her. So, either she's lying about her talent or this person is basically a one person army."_

Ikusaba then proceeded to simply stare intensely at Kuramoto's eyes.

"Umm...why are you staring at me?" Kuramoto asked, starting to become uneasy.

"Kuramoto-san, what's your talent?" Ikusaba questioned.

"It's' the Ultimate Mastermind, why do you ask?" Kuramoto answered.

"..."

Ikusaba continued to stare at Kuramoto for a while before finally speaking up.

"Whenever you have a chance, I would like to talk to you, in private."

"Oh, ok." Kuramoto said in response.

Ikusaba parted ways with Kuramoto right after she said that.

" _I wonder what that was all about? Maybe she noticed something about me? I guess I'll find soon enough."_

"Name's Mondo Oowada, nice to fucking meet ya." Oowada announced.

" _Mondo Oowada, the SHSL Biker Gang Leader, he's the current leader of the gang known as The Crazy Diamonds. He and his gang are the most respected and feared gang across the nation. From what I know, while he's not malicious, he is very easy to provoke. Best to avoid antagonizing him when I don't need to."_

"I am Fumio Kuramoto, nice to meet you, too." Kuramoto replied.

"..."

" _Strange, normally Oowada is usually more talkative than this. Maybe he just wants to get to the more important bits of this situation? Can't say I blame him."_

"Well, Oowada-san. Unless you have something you want to say to me, I'll just leave to your own devices." Kuramoto stated.

"Yeah, you do that." Oowada answered.

Kuramoto made his way to the next person after that brief introduction.

"I am Sakura Oogami." Oogami simply declared.

" _Sakura Oogami the SHSL Martial Artist. She has competed in a multitude of martial tournaments and has won all of them. In addition to that, she has a current win streak of over 400 matches. According to my research, despite her gargantuan size and intimidating looks, she is actually quite tame and soft-hearted. Maybe that's why I don't really feel uneasy around her."_

Oogami then began to poke and prod Kuramoto's body. He immediately tensed up upon as soon as he felt her fingers.

"What are you doing!?" Kuramoto inquired in an uneasy manner.

"Hmm...despite your smaller stature, you are actually very well built. I may have found another suitable sparring partner." Oogami finally spoke.

"Oh..umm thanks?" Kuramoto replied, unsure as to what to make of that comment.

"Tell me, what do you know of martial artist?" Oogami continued.

" _Now that she mentioned it, that's actually a good question. Hmmm...I do remember quite a few things when it comes to combat so..."_

"I happen to know a thing or two when it comes to fighting. You'd be surprised by the amount of enemies you can make when you have a level of mental competency similar to my own and are not under someone's command." Kuramoto answered.

"I see...I would like to see what you can do whenever you get a chance." Oogami commented.

"Sure, why not?" Kuramoto replied.

After making that agreement, the two of them parted ways.

"My name is Byakuya Togami." Togami declared.

" _Byakuya Togami, the SHSL Scion. I remember this person. He is the current heir to the Togami Corporation. An organization that is a current world power. He's already began managing the business operations and secured a hefty amount of revenue for himself. I am all too familiar with the Togami Corporation and its deeds. To put it very mildly, they are types of folks who would go out of their way to destroy the lives of others all for the sake of securing their own interests and fortunes."_

"Good for you." Kuramoto spat out before he began to walk away.

"Where are you going!?" Togami demanded.

"To introduce myself to the next individual." Kuramoto shot back.

"But you didn't-" Togami started.

"It doesn't matter." Kuramoto interrupted. "Besides, it's not like you care who I am to begin with. I'm saving myself the time and breath from interacting with the likes of you." Kuramoto furiously decreed.

After that declaration, Kuramoto continued to walk off. Togami just stood there for a moment, taken off guard by the open hostility he was met with.

"My, my, someone seems to hold a grudge."the gothic girl from earlier spoke.

"So what if I do? I don't recall it being a crime to harbor resent towards someone, especially if the person in question merits such scorn." Kuramoto harshly stated, still fuming from his previous encounter.

" A fair point, it's just surprising to see the infamous Fumio Kuramoto express such open animosity." the gothic girl remarked.

"Can we change topics?" Kuramoto requested. "I'd hate to have my first impression of you ruined all because you couldn't let go of a subject."

The girl simply smiled in response. "Of course. Speaking of first impressions, I believe we haven't been introduced yet. I am Celestia Ludenberg."

" _Celestia Ludenberg, the SHSL High Roller. A self styled gambler who hasn't lost a bet once. Outside of her less than subtle fixation for gothic attire, everything else about here is a complete mystery. According to my sources, she entered massive underground tournaments multiple times and won everytime, earning the title of "Queen of Liars". Personality wise, outside of her obvious ability of being able to deceive as naturally as she breathes, one major thing I remember taking note of was her rather malicious nature she can carry."_

"Fumio Kuramoto." Kuramoto introduced back. "Albeit judging from your earlier remark, it's seems you already know my name, Ludenberg-san."

"Please, just call me Celes. But yes, a person who is able to upset major powers and still be alive becomes infamous very quickly in the underground world, so naturally, I do know who you are. " Celes replied.

"Makes sense ." Kuramoto simply stated.

"Still, you are quite a bit different from what I'd imagined what you'd be like. I am looking forward to getting to you." Celes declared smiling once more.

"Likewise." Kuramoto responded.

" _That smiles that she projects is extremely deceptive. Judging by her previous actions and what I have seen so far, she seems like she's extremely tough to read. She's likely a good manipulator, maybe even more than Maizono-san. On top of that, she's the one person out of all of the other classmates that I knew about in advance that I know the least about. I will need to be extremely careful around her."_

After that farewell, Kuramoto parted ways with Celes and made his way towards the last student.

"I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure. Let's take it easy together, ya?" Hagakure stated introducing himself.

" _Yasuhiro Hagakure, the SHSL Clairvoyant. From what I know, he apparently has the ability to get an unusually high amount of accuracy of correct predictions with his intuition alone. Not that I really care about fortune telling in the first place due to the whimsical nature of it. I'd much rather create the future myself than have prophecies told about it. As for his personality..."_ Kuramoto thought to himself.

"Ok, I give up." Hagakure voice, interrupting Kuramoto's train of thought.

Kuramoto just looked at Hagakure in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I see a fierce dragon's breath burning down the home of a giant spider and its web. You are the dragon."

"..."

"Nah, I'm just messing with you. But, seriously we should grab some brewskis later and converse about some ancient civilizations." Hagakure quickly added.

"You do know that I'm not old enough to drink, right?" Kuramoto deadpanned.

"Oh, right. I am actually 21." Hagakure casually replied. "I've been held back a few times and well...it's a long story."

" _And a story I'm pretty sure I'd be cringing through most of it if I was ever foolish enough to ask about it."_ Kuramoto thought to himself in a somewhat snarky manner.

" _That's the last student. So, with introductions finally finished, maybe one of the others could provide some insight as to what's going on._ " Kuramoto thought to himself as he turned to face this classmates.  
 **  
-**

 **Author Note:**

 **See you guys on the next part and ideally the conclusion of the prologue.**


	3. Prolouge Part 3: Meeting the Despair

**Disclaimer:** **DanganRonpa belongs to Chunsoft, Spike and their respective associates. I do not own any of DanganRonpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Note: Have you ever had those days where you really wanted to get something done so you can get to a fun activity? Yeah, me neither. Anyways, for the moment, I do have a good amount of freetime, in conjunction with me being late on the last part, so I decided to go ahead and get another part in a bit early. Anyways, enjoy and have a Happy Holidays.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer:** **Thank you for the review and I am glad you are liking this so far. As for Ikusaba being out in the open, I do have a story related reason as to why that's the case, I certainly hope you will stick around to find out.  
**  
 **-**

It looked like everyone else had finished up their introduction as well. Togami decided to speak up.

"Now then, it's time to get down to business. This isn't neither the time or place to stand around making friends like a bunch of dim witted apes."

"Oh yeah." Naegi spoke. "Before Kuramoto-kun and Kirigiri-san arrived, I think someone mentioned that there was a bigger problem."

Kuramoto decided to plant himself at the left side of the room.

" _For now, I'll let the others talk things out. While I have a decent idea on the personalities on the majority of folks here, it still would be a good idea to figure out where everyone stands in terms of intelligence and the levelheadedness."_

"Well, you see." Maizono began explaining. "You said earlier that a bunch of stuff happened and that you lost consciousness, right? Well, the same is true for all of us."

"Wait, seriously!?" Makoto replied in shock.

"Just after each of us got to the main hall, we lost consciousness. Afterwards, we woke up somewhere in the school. That's what happened to you as well, didn't it." Kuwata continued.

"B-but that doesn't make sense! How's that even possible for all of us to be knocked out like that!?" Naegi cried out in fear and confusion.

"Exactly!" Oowada yelled out. "That's why we're all freakin' out!"

"That's not the only problem." Ishimaru spoke up. "There were metal plates where the windows in the classrooms and hallways were!"

"Plus, my phone and drawing utensils are all missing!" Yamada exclaimed.

"You're right" Fujisaki said. "I haven't seen my PDA anywhere, either."

"On top of that, there's the main hall here." Ishimaru stated. "The front entrance is blocked off by his giant, metal hatch. But there wasn't anything like this when I first got here! What's going on here!?"

"Perhaps, we got caught up in the midst of some type of crime?" Ikusaba suggested.

"Like...a kidnapping?" Kuwata questioned. "You think someone dragged us off somewhere and we are no no longer actually in the school?"

"Come on. There's no need to think like that." Hagakure claimed. "I bet this is just a part of the school's orientation procedure."

Several of the more skeptical students just gave Hagakure a look that practically screams "Are you serious!?"

"Yeah, that's definitely it. There's no reason to get so worked up." Hagakure continued, sounding pretty sure of himself.

"You really think they just wanted to surprise us?" Fujisaki asked, a little relieved.

"If that's all it is, I'm going to take a nap. I got way too little sleep last night." Kuwata stated in an annoyed tone.

" _Seriously guys, I know that individuals will not jump to the worst case scenario right off the bat, but come on! The proof that there's something ominous going on is directly in front of you!"_ Kuramoto thought to himself annoyed.

Before anyone could say anything else, it began.

The monitor that was in the room turned on, revealing static at first, but then a silhouette appeared and with it came a voice.

" _ **Ahem! Testing, testing! Mike check! This is a test of the school broadcast system! Is everyone able to hear me? Ok, then!"**_

" _ **Attention all new students, I would like to begin the entrance ceremony right now! Please gather at the gym immediately. I'll be waiting!"**_

That voice had made Kuramoto a little pale. That voice, it was so carefree to the point it felt very out of place. Like someone laughing at the scene of a train wreck.

Despite everyone's fears, no one could deny both the risks of not complying with their captor's request nor their curiosity to acquire some answers. So everyone, at their own pace made their way to the gym.

Upon entering the gym, outside of the metal plates that covered the walls, it looked exactly like an entrance ceremony.

"You see? It's an entrance ceremony, just like I said!" Hagakure bragged.

" _True, it looks like a regular school ceremony. But if anything, it so normal when compared to the rest of the school, it only emphasizes as to how much this is out of place."_ Kuramoto thought.

Then, the same voice from the announcement broke through.

"Hello there. Now that everyone's here, let's get things rolling!"

Everyone's attention turned towards the front where the podium and everyone gathered towards it. Kuramoto decided to be towards the back, facing at a bit of angle towards the backs of the other students.

From the podium, a monochrome bear suddenly appeared on top of the podium.

"Huh, A…..teddy bear?" Fujisaki spoke up confused.

"I am not a teddy bear!" The bear responded, surprising everyone in the room. "And no I'm not a comic book villain reject either and I'd appreciate it if none of you will make that mistake. I...am...Monokuma, the headmaster of this academy! Nice to meet you all!"

"WAAAAAH! The bear can talk!" Yamada screamed out in shock.

"C-Calm down." Ishimaru said, despite that he also surprised. "I'm sure there's a speaker inside that teddy bear."

"I told you, I'm not a teddy bear!" Monokuma spoke , clearly furious.

He then jumped off the podium and stared directly at Ishimaru and Yamada stating.

"I am Monokuma and I am your headmaster!"

"WAAAAAH! It moved!" Yamada screamed out once more.

"Seriously, calm down!" Oowada stated. "It's probably just some kind of remote control toy or something."

"To think that I would be compared to some child's toy. That cut me deeper than the Mariana Trench." Monokuma stated in a depressed tone. But then get quickly bounced back from it continuing. "My remote control system is complex that it would put NASA to shame."

Both Fujisaki and Kuramoto's attention was grabbed from that comment with both of them thinking the same thing.

" _That thing's control system puts NASA to shame? That's a very bold claim to make."_

"So, I'd beary much appreciate if you'd stop treating me like a toy!" Monokuma shouted.

"Beary? Really? That's quite lowbrow." Celes said.

"Now, then, moving on. We need to be quickly get started." Monokuma continued.

That's it, huh?" Kuwata commented. "You don't have any more stupid bear puns to make?"

"Now, now, quiet down." Monokuma continued ignoring Kuwata.

"It seems he has abandoned the gag." Oogami sighed out.

"Now then, everyone stand at attention and bow! And...good morning!" Monokuma stated.

Ishimaru followed Monokuma's instructions bow and repeated "Good Morning!"

"Y-you don't n-need to respond." Fukawa stuttered out in annoyance.

"With that out of the way," Monokuma pressed on "Let's commence this memorable entrance ceremony! First, let's go over what your school life here will be."

"You few who were chosen to attend this academy with your bountiful amount of talent, represent the world's greatest hope. And in order to ensure the protection and survival of this hope… "

"You will spend the rest of your days within the confinement of these academy walls. As headmaster, it's my hope that you all will maintain order and live together here in friendship and harmony!"

And with that bomb dropped, the majority of the students began to panic.

"And the duration of this little arrangemen...t" Monokuma carried on. "is indefinite! So, in others, you guys will be required to spend the rest of your lives here!"

" _Our whole lives!?"_ Kuramoto thought to himself. _"That's definitely a problem, but more importantly, that can't be just it. There's has to be something more to it than just that."_

"W-What did you say? O-our whole lives?" Fukawa stuttered out.

"Yup, but not to worry, we have a massive budget, so we'll make sure you are all comfy." Monokuma replied.

"T-that's not the problem!" Maizono stated.

"Y-you can't be serious, right?" Fujisaki cried out. "W-we have to live here forever?"

"I am no liar, that much you can be certain of!" Monokuma responded.

"Oh, and just so you all know. You have all been completely cut off from the outside world, so…..forget about that nasty place." Monokuma added.

"So...those iron plates in the classrooms and halls. They're to keep us locked in!?" Naegi remarked.

"Exactly." Monokuma confirmed. "Scream as much and as loud as you want, no one will be coming to rescue you. So, feel free to enjoy your new lives here at this academy."

"What the hell, man? Kuwata questioned. "If this is supposed to be a joke, this is going way too far, especially if the school is behind this."

"I'd heard enough." Oowada chimed in "Cut this crap out now and I'll let you say it was just a prank."

"Sheez, you are all really a bunch skeptics, aren't you?" Monokuma said in an annoyed manner. "But, I suppose you live in an age of skepticism where you are taught to doubt others."

"I suppose it doesn't matter. You'll figure it out for yourselves soon enough that I am speaking the complete, unfiltered truth."

"It..would be quite problematic to live forever." Celes said solemnly.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Monokuma questioned. "You all came to Hope's Peak Academy of your own free will and you want to leave in the midst of the opening ceremony?"

"Although, there is a way for you to leave if you rrreeaally want to." Monokuma continued.

"R-really? "Fuwaka asked.

The tension of the room went down a bit, however, there were a few that were skeptical about this way to able to leave.

" _I knew it, let's see what are captor actually wants from us."_ Kuramoto thought to himself, processing all that has heard so far.

"So, what exactly is this way out you are referring to?" Ikusaba inquired.

"Well, since you guys did come to this school of your own volition, I, the headmaster, have created a special clause for all individuals who want to leave! I call it...the Graduation Clause!" Monokuma answered.

"As I mentioned earlier," Monokuma began to explain. "You are to maintain order during your stay here at this academy, but...if someone were to destroy that order, they alone would be allowed to leave. That's the Graduation Clause."

"What do you mean by 'Destroy the order'?" Togami questioned.

Monokuma simply put his paws to his face in a giggling manner.

"I'm talking about….murder!"

As soon as Monokuma's words left his mouth. The atmosphere in the entire room grew heavy as everyone's blood went cold. Even the stoic people of the group weren't unfazed by this change.

"Beating, stabbing, pounding, cutting, burning, crushing, strangling, slaughtering, hexing, the method doesn't matter. The important point is that you can't get out unless you kill someone. Do whatever it takes to obtain the best results from the worst method."

"It's quite the carnal thrill, an ecstasy that you can't get just by attacking someone. As I said, you guys are the world's hope. To take that hope and throw into a coliseum against itself...the despair it brings it just so exciting!"

Nearly everyone in the room was still in shock with the situation that they now found themselves in. However, since it seemed to that person that nobody else would talk about it, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"What's the catch?" Kuramoto inquired.

Everyone's attention turned towards Kuramoto.

"Catch?" Monokuma asked in turn.

"Yes, catch." Kuramoto replied. "According to you, a person is able to leave if they take another person's life. That means, on paper, a person could stab a person in the neck with a pen right now and they would be able to leave."

If the tension in the room wasn't at its peak before, it was now.

W-what are are you saying, Kuramoto-kun?" Fujisaki cried out.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Asahina shouted.

" _I don't expect the mentally inept to appreciate this, but this is a crucial line of questioning, because depending on his answer, this could change things by quite a bit."_ Kuramoto thought.

"Y-yeah, that's right!" Kuwata joined in "I mean, to kill each other is..."

"To kill each other is to kill each other." Monokuma interrupted. "If you need a dictionary, I'm sure there's one somewhere."

"That's not the problem! Why do we have kill each other!?" Asahina exclaimed.

"That's right, all you're doing is spouting nonsense. Let us return home at once!" Yamada agreed.

"All you're doing?" Monokuma repeated.

Monokuma's voice started to slowly change from carefree to sinister.

"That's all I'm doing? Well, all _you're_ doing is yammering on about all _I'm_ doing."

"Are you all stupid or something?" Monokuma asked rhetorically.

" 'Let us out' you all cry. You guys sounds like record that's been broken many times over. Now listen carefully, this academy is your new home. It's your whole world.

"So kill to your heart's content! Kill or be killed! KILL KILL KILL TILL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT!"

There was only one individual that seemed to be entirely unfazed by Monokuma's drastic change in demeanor and the entire scenario in general.

"Come on, dude. How long are you gonna keep this up?" Hagakure asked calmly.

"Hmm?" was Monokuma's response.

"You've scared us enough, so how about you drop the charade?" Hagakure requested.

"Charade?" Monokuma repeated.

"Yeah, cuz, that's what this, isn't it." Hagakure elaborated.

"That's it! I've fucking had it! Move out of the damn way!" Oowada bellowed, making his way in front of Monokuma.

"Listen, asshole! This shitty joke as gone on long enough!"

"Joke? Like your hair?" Monokuma casually commented.

"FFFFFFUUUUUUUU-"

With that, all remaining restraint left Oowada as he bee lined straight for Monokuma. Afterwards, he grabbed Monokuma and lifted him up.

"Gotcha, bitch! I don't give a shit if you're a stuffed toy or a robot. I'm gonna rip you fucking shreds!" Oowada shouted out.

"Eeeek! It's against the rules to attack the headmaster!" Monokuma cried.

"SHUT UP! You better let us out of here right now or I'm going to beat the ever living daylights out of you until you do!" Oowada threatened.

Monokuma immediately went limp and a loud beeping sound started playing.

"Hey! You listenin!?" Oowada asked loudly.

The beeping didn't stop, instead, it started to speed up.

"Enough with the fucking beeping and say somethin!" Oowada shouted.

Three individuals in the room recognized what the beeping represented but the first person that reacted was...

"Oowada-san, get rid of that thing!" Kuramoto stated.

"Huh…?" was Oowada's reaction as the beeping continued to escalate.

"Stop standing there and toss that thing away from you!" Kuramoto bellowed.

Likely stunned into silence by the urgency of his voice, Oowada did as he was told and proceeded to toss Monokuma into the air and as soon as he did…

 ***BAM!***

Monokuma exploded.

Everyone was in shock due to the turn of events.

"T-that was close. The fucker...blew up." Oowada stammered out.

"Wait, if the teddy bear blew up." Fujisaki spoke up. "Them, that means it's gone, right?"

"I told you, I am _not_ a teddy bear. I am Monokuma!" A familiar voice rang.

As soon as that sentence finished, another Monokuma appeared.

"There's more of them!?" Kuwata cried out, turning pale.

"You bastard! You just tried to kill me!" Oowada growled out.

"Of course I tried to kill you." Monokuma replied angrily. "You can't just go about breaking the school rules. I'll let you slide with a warning this time, but I'd suggest you be more careful from now on. Bad, rule-breaking children won't walk away with just a spanking here!"

"So, there's more of you, lurking about in the school?" Ikusaba asked.

"Yes, Monokumas have been deployed to numerous locations throughout the academy. Plus, there's also the security cameras that are installed everywhere." Monokuma answered.

"And if you are caught breaking the school rules, well, I trust I don't have to explain it." Monokuma giggly manically once more. "I won't be so lenient next time, so don't let it happen again."

"T-that's not even punishment." Asahina said, visibly disturbed. "That's…. Just….wrong."

"Lastly," Monokuma continued, changing the subject "I have a welcome gift for each of you." He brought up what looked like several smart pads.

"This is our official school handbook. Pretty neat, huh? As you all can see, they are electronic, so we call them...the e-Handbook!" Monokuma explained.

"The e-Handbook is an indispensable part of your school life, so don't go losing it. When you turn it on, it will display your real name, so make sure you got the right one. After all, these things can do more than just simply identify you." Monokuma continued.

"In addition, it's completely waterproof and thanks to its modern day design, it can withstand up to ten tons of force. It also contain all of the school rules. You should all read through them. I have said this before and will continue to say, violation of the school rules will not be tolerated!" Monokuma added.

"Rules exist to both restrict and protect. Peace cannot exist in society without laws. And the same goes for here, that's why there are strict punishments for rule breakers!"

"Well, this concludes the entrance ceremony so…" Monokuma begam.

"Hold it!" Kuramoto shouted.

"What is now!?" Monokuma cried out angrily.

"You never answered my question from earlier." Kuramoto responded.

"Oh, right. About what would happen if one of you decided to just kill someone right now." Monokuma stated.

"I was hoping to save this for later, but since you decided to bring this up, I guess I can tell you all the important point now." Monokuma said.

"The major catch for the graduation clause is that you cannot get caught in the act." Monokuma revealed.

"So, the killing must be done in a manner that the others cannot figure it out." Kuramoto stated, looking for confirmation.

"That's right. I've even put in the school rules for you guys." Monokuma confirmed.

"Anywho, that's all I have for you guys, enjoy your bountifully grim academy life! I'll be seeing you all again soon!" Monokuma stated, disappearing.

Everyone just stood there, either dumbfounded or trying to process what happened.

" _Ok, you got this, just remain calm and try to compile everything you learned. With the information our captor has given, in conjunction with what I have witnessed, there is a ton of new information and conclusions I that I now have."_ Kuramoto thought.

Ishimaru was the one broke the silence.

"Would someone care to explain...what that was?"

"What that was? I don't even the smallest shred of a clue." Kuwata answered.

"Spend our lives here? Or k-k-kill? Wh-What iiissss thissssss!?" Fukawa screamed out.

"Calm down, everyone." Kirigiri spoke up. "The first priority is making sense of what we have been told. According to that Monokuma character we have two options. First, we can live out lives here, together, at this academy or... "

"We can kill someone and be allowed to leave, correct?" Celes finished.

"Who-Who would do something that." Fujisaki said, now in tears.

"We were dragged of into this school-esque facility and now we've been told that we must kill one another." Yamada fearfully summarized. "This is" he, he freaked out "What is going on here!?"

"This is a lie." Ishimaru denied "This is far too ridiculous to be anything other than lie!"

"Maybe it's all a lie or maybe it's all true. That's not the problem." Togami pointed out. "The real problem is whether or not someone here took it seriously."

Not a single person had a rebuttal to Togami's comment. Everyone started glancing at one another, attempting to gauge one another's reaction, the animosity and suspicion in the air like a suffocating mist. With the one question that hung into everyone's mind "Is somebody going to betray me?"

" _We are well past the point of turning back now. If creating resentment and suspicion and hatred towards each other was our captor's goal. They definitely succeeded. Nevertheless, I must press forward. I must make it through. I must adapt to this Academy of Despair._ " Kuramoto resolved within himself.

 **Location: 4th Floor Hope's Peak Academy, Data Processing Room**

 **Time: 0830**

Giggling can be heard as Junko Enoshima, the orchestrator of the Killing School Life turned off the mike and deactivated the Monokuma she had control over.

"Perfect, everything is going exactly as I want it to." Enoshima said in a cutesy voice.

All of a sudden she slammed her hand on the control panel.

"That's what I would have said, if it wasn't from _him_!" She shouted.

Enoshima went out of the room she was in an into the room which held the security and began to stare at one of them that had Kuramoto's face on it.

"Seriously, how the hell are his memories returning to him!?" Enoshima shouted. "Everyone else's memories have been removed and even that no good detective's has been wiped clean, so how has his began to recover so quickly!?"

Enoshima then even into a depressed manner.

"I knew it. I'm such a fool. I should have dealt with him when I had the chance to do so."

"On the other hand…." Enoshima stated giggling, recovered from her depressed side. "This will make things more interesting, both for myself and the audience. He is after all, he's one of two people who has been bold enough to defy me."

Enoshima simply began to laugh maniacally.

"Well then, Mr. Ultimate Mastermind," Enoshima grinned putting her face close to the screen. "Let's see how well you will be able to handle yourself in this killing game."

 **Prologue End**

 **Surviving Students 16  
**  
 **-**

 **Author Notes: Welp, that's it for this part. I knew this part is quite similar to the original, so I did add a combination of the various translations and my own lines to make things a little more interesting. In addition, I believe the few parts that were added accounting for Kuramoto were important enough to merit going through this redundant part. Next time, we will be entering the first chapter and from that point, the story will begin to drift further apart from the original storyline. I hoped you enjoyed and as always, I'm open to suggestions for improvements.**


	4. Arc 1 Part 1: Exploration and Deductions

**Disclaimer:** **DanganRonpa belongs to Chunsoft, Spike and their respective associates. I do not own any of DanganRonpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Note: Alright, the start of the first chapter of the cannon story. Once Jan 8 hits, the updates will begin to slow down. But I do hope to try to keep them within a one to two week updates. Anyways, enjoy the new part.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer: Yep. Kuramoto-kun is going to be pretty perceptive and him getting interrupted by others may or may not be a problem he will have to deal with down the road :)  
**

* * *

 **Arc I: School Life's Shattered Bonds**

 **Location: 1st Floor Hope's Peak Academy, Gym**

 **Time: 0835**

It had been a few minutes since Monokuma had left the room. The atmosphere was tense and the few that weren't moving or speaking out of fear were still trying to process everything that had happened. The atmosphere was shattered by her blunt words.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Kirigiri asked, directing her question towards everyone in the room.

"Don't tell me you all seriously plan on just standing here, staring each other down all day." Kirigiri continued.

Her unminced words was enough to shake everyone up out their shock and back into reality.

"Kirigiri-san is right," Ikusaba added. "Standing around here won't do us any good."

"Indeed." Ishimaru spoke. "There are times where we must push forward, no matter how frightening or uncomfortable the situation is. How could I forget something so fundamental!?"

"Could someone hit me, please? I cannot forgive myself for making such a grievous error of judgement!" Ishimaru requested.

"If you have enough energy to make that much noise, how boutcha move your ass instead?" Oowada stated.

"But, what do we do?" Yamada asked.

"We look for a way out, duh!" Kuwata mocked.

"Best case scenario." Ikusaba added, cracking her knuckles. "We find the person responsible and ensure that they won't be able to do anything again."

"Shouldn't we check the rules in the e-hanbooks, first?" Fujisaki inquired.

"I agree." Celes chimed in. "We wouldn't want our ignorance to create another spectacle like the one we just witnessed."

"Tch" was Oowada's response.

With no one having any objections, everyone decided to open up their e-handbooks and review the rules.

* * *

 **Rule 1: Students are to live out their lives together within the academy. Indefinitely.**

 **Rule 2: 10PM to 7AM is designated "nighttime". There will be a few areas that will be off-limits during this time.**

 **Rule 3: Sleep is only allowed in dormitory bedrooms. Deliberate use of any other room will be treated as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.**

 **Rule 4: With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your own discretion.**

 **Rule 5: Violence against the headmaster, Monokuma, is forbidden. As is the destruction of the surveillance cameras and monitors.**

 **Rule 6: The villian who kills one of his classmates will be allowed to "graduate", provided their crime isn't betrayed to the other students.**

 **Rule 7: Additional rules may be added if deemed necessary. The additional rules may add exceptions to the previous ones, but they cannot directly contradict another rule already in place.  
**

* * *

Going over the rules, Kuramoto's internal monologue began to kick in.

" _So theses are the school rules, they are a bit vague, but they don't seem heavily restrictive. Rules 4, 6 and 7 are the most noteworthy ones. It still doesn't have the information that I was hoping to have so maybe the tension can be somewhat diffused."_

"The hell is this nonsense?! I'm not gonna let myself be pushed around by some stupid rules!" Oowada said defiantly.

"By all means, go right ahead." Celes smiled. "March around like the rules don't exist. I'm very curious to see what will happen to an individual who's willing to break them."

"W-Were he to do that, Master Mondo Oowada would get a game over for sure…" Yamada stated.

"..."

"When I was still a kid, my big bro would always get on my case about how "a man keeps his promises, even in death."... Oowada reminisced.

"Your point?" Kuwata questioned.

"I still got promises I ain't done keepin'..so there's' no way in hell I'm dying here!" Oowada declared.

"I could hardly make any sense of that...but can I presume you will be following the rules, then?" Celes retorted.

"Yeah..I guess so." Oowada simply said.

"Guys, I have a question. " Maizono pitched in. "The last bit of rule number six. What do you think that it means?"

* * *

 **Rule 6: The villian who kills one of his classmates will be allowed to "graduate", provided their crime isn't betrayed to the other students** _ **.**_

* * *

"That's the catch that Monokuma was referring to earlier. That's you must not get caught." Kuramoto explained.

A few students turned their heads towards him in anger.

"You still have a bit to answer for, pal!" Oowada shouted.

"Yeah I mean there's no way someone just going to kill someone like that!" Asahina added.

"I agree." Kuramoto simply said.

Most of the students were surprised by his answer.

Togami just simply smirked. "To think that I actually believed that you were smart, but you're just a naive-"

"After all, who would be stupid enough to kill someone on such an ambiguous clause?" Kuramoto continued.

That got everyone's attention.

"An ambiguous clause?" Celes repeated.

"Yes, the reason why I had asked Monokuma what the catch to the graduation rule was was to figure out his response to that question. I trust everyone remembers what he said." Kuramoto began to explain.

 **Flashback**

" **You never answered my question from earlier." Kuramoto responded.**

" **Oh, right. About what would happen if one of you decided to just attack now." Monokuma stated.**

" **I was hoping to save this for later, but since you decided to bring this up, I guess I can tell you all the important point now." Monokuma said.**

" **The major catch for the graduation clause is that you cannot get caught in the act." Monokuma revealed.**

" **So, the killing must be done in a manner that the others cannot figure it out." Kuramoto stated, looking for confirmation.**

" **That's right. I've even put in the school rules for you guys." Monokuma confirmed.**

 **End Flashback**

"The important bits of his answer are the facts that Monokuma both originally planned to withhold this information and that he only mentioned the "important point". Is everyone with me so far?" Kuramoto proceeded.

Everyone nodded their heads.

"So, it stands to reason that if Monokuma was willing to omit such important information, one has to wonder what other important details he's not telling us. Especially since none of the rules explain this, either. For example, what exactly constitutes as getting caught in the first place? What happens to the murderer if they do get caught? If the murderer succeeds, what will happen to the other students?"

The rest of class began to murmur amongst themselves, taking in the new information that Kuramoto presented to them.

"I hope that everyone understands now what I meant earlier by ambiguous clause and with any luck at least some of you now understand why I asked that question. The bottom line is that anyone who willing to kill without truly understanding the repercussions behind it is not only detestable, but reckless." Kuramoto concluded.

With that explanation finished, much of the room's attitude towards him had changed. Most were either nodding in agreement or either shocked or impressed that Kuramoto could piece all of that together just with the one question he asked.

"Anyways, we getting sidetracked. We all still have a lot more pressing matters to attend to." Kuramoto changed topics.

"You're right, there are still plenty of pressing questions that we to find the answers to. For instance, Where exactly are we? Is there a way out? Do we have provisions and supplies?" Ishimaru agreed.

"It's 8:40 now." Kuramoto said, looking at the gym's clock. "I'd say we disperse into teams and either meet back here or preferably in the cafeteria area, if we manage to find one, at around 2PM."

"I'm going alone." Togami stated.

"Are you crazy?!" Kuwata questioned. "Why would you do that?!"

"Even accounting for Kuramoto-san's observation, that does not change the fact that it's possible that someone is already planning their exodus. You seriously expect me to let any of get near me?" Togami answered.

"What? No one would-" Maizono started.

"You can't be sure of that!" Togami asserted. "Nor are you, your reactions on Monokuma's explanation of graduation are proof of that."

Am I mistaken?" Togami smirked.

No one could argue with his reasoning and consequently, everyone was goaded into silence.

" _Leave it to the conceited scion to go right ahead and bring back the tension that I managed to disperse."_ Kuramoto thought angrily.

"Now then, I'll be on way." Togami turned around and began to walk towards the exit.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Oowada asked, stepping in front of Togami.

"Out of my way, plankton." Togami demanded.

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Oowada remarked.

"You are but a single plankton drifting through a vast ocean, who's meaning and purpose have no value whatsoever." Togami snidely decreed.

"It sounds like someone wants to have his teeth knocked out!" Oowada threatened.

All of a sudden, Naegi decided to step in stating

"Stop it you guys. Fighting won't solve anything!" Naegi cried out.

"Who the hell do you think you are, Two Shoes!?" Oowada shouted. "You think you're some think of teacher!? You tryin' to preach to me!?"

"No, that's not-" Naegi tried to say.

"Then shut yer trap!" Oowada screamed.

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone's attention was directed to the source of that shout. It was loud enough to where the voice had even echoed. The one who had shouted was...Kuramoto.

"Oowada-san. Naegi-kun is right, picking fights is an entirely meaningless act right now."

Oowada looked like he was about ready to say sometime and Togami was standing there with his trademark smirk.

"Especially with a worthless, little nobody like Togami." Kuramoto added.

That insulting remark was one that Togami was not about to let slide.

"What did you just say!" Togami asked angrily.

"Beside, Oowada-san," Kuramoto continued, ignoring Togami. "Aren't you the leader of the Crazy Diamondbacks? I wonder what your followers would say, what your brother would say if they saw you losing your cool so easily to some punk in a suit."

The words spoken to Oowada was enough to get him out of his rage. Then looked down and solemnly muttered to himself:

"He'd probably kick my ass."

"Don't ignore me! You will-" Togami began.

"Why are you still here?" Kuramoto cut in.

"What?" was Togami's reply.

"Didn't you say you were going to investigate alone? So, what are you waiting for?" Kuramoto inquired.

"Unless…..you need to me to hold your hand for you in order to do something as simple as that." Kuramoto insulted.

Togami was NOT pleased with how Kuramoto was addressing him. Unfortunately, he had no counterarguments to Kuramoto's statements, so he simply turned his back and said:

"This is not over."

After that, Togami walked away.

Kuramoto then turned back towards Oowada.

"You see?" Kuramoto commented. "All Togami is capable of doing is spouting empty threats and insults. As satisfying as it would be to just deck him, it would only just cause unnecessary trouble and anxiety to everyone around here."

"You're right, thanks Bro!" Oowada said, giving Kuramoto a thumbs-up.

"Bro?"Kuramoto repeated.

"Yeah, that's twice you got me out of a bind. Figured anyone who's got my back like that is a Bro of mine." Oowada declared.

"Your welcome, Oowada-kun." Kuramoto replied.

Then, Kuramoto directed his attention towards the rest of the class.

"Does anyone else wish to investigate alone? If so, go ahead and disperse, just remember to meet at the cafeteria area or otherwise at the gym at 2PM." Kuramoto announced.

Kirigiri was the only individual who decided to make their way towards the exit. She just simply walked away, without saying a single word.

"Her too, huh?" Ishimaru commented.

"You really think they'll be ok?" Fujisaki asked.

"I'm not worried about Kirigiri. From what little I've seen so far, she's the type that can handle herself." Kuramoto said.

"I presume nobody else has any objections with working in teams?" Kuramoto addressed.

Nobody replied.

"Very well, we have 14 people here, let's spilt of into two teams of three and two teams of four." Kuramoto commanded.

After that, everyone moved to either create or find a team.

It took about five minutes, but everyone managed to be on a team. Naegi and Maizono had formed a pair pretty quickly as did Asahina and Oogami. The two pairs decided to join up, making a team of four. Celes and Fujisaki teamed with Kuramoto hastily as well, forming a team of three. Fujisaki figured that due to how well Kuramoto had diffused the situation with Oowada, he would the safest person to go with. Celes had thought that given how intelligent Kuramoto had shown himself to be, she was most likely to get information she wouldn't obtain otherwise by going with someone else. Mondo hadn't gone anywhere since the rest had moved to form teams. Kuwata, unable to pair with Maizono, against his better judgement, decided to pair along with Oowada, not wanting to get stuck with either Hagakure or Yamada. Ikusaba originally wanted to pair with either Kuramoto or Naegi, but seeing that both of them were already with a group of four and three respectively and there was already another group of three, she decided to join with Oowada and Kuwata, making a team of three. Lastly, Yamada, Hagakure and Fukawa were the students left out. Yamada for his obnoxious screaming, Hagakure for still believing this situation to be a prank and Fukawa for her spiteful demeanor. Ishimaru decided to go ahead and lead these three, forming the final team of four. After the teams had formed up, everyone at their own pace, had left the gym, burning with the resolve to find a means of escape.

* * *

"Any ideas of where we should start looking?" Fujisaki asked once the group after they left the gym.

"Personally, I'd vote for the dorms. I am very curious to see what are living arrangements are going to be like if we are going to be stuck here." Celes replied.

"If that's the plan, then how about we sweep the rooms we come across while we are at it?" Kuramoto suggested, looking at the e-handbook map. "We might as well since the dorms are the furthest location away from the gym, after all."

"I agree, it will prevent us from going around the school directionless." Celes added.

With their objective at hand, the group began their search. To their immediate left, there were a set of stairs. Regrettably, they were blocked off by a metal gate, Oowada's team was busy attempting to pry it open, so Kuramoto and Co. decided to leave that to them.

They next managed to find a white door. Sadly, it was blocked off with yellow tape and all attempts to remove it were unsuccessful.

"Looks like Monokuma doesn't want us to access certain rooms. I wonder why?" Celes observed.

"Maybe the Mastermind has sometime within these rooms that they don't want us to see?" Fujisaki suggested.

"It's possible, but for now, let's move on. Our priorities are to find an exit and if we don't, make sure the places we are expected to stay in are hospitable." Kuramoto said.

The room right next to the locked room had an orange door with a sign that said "Store". Unfortunately, this door was also blocked off, but with red tape.

"Another closed off door? What happened to being able to explore at one's discretion?" Kuramoto stated.

"You found it!" Monokuma said, appearing with his arms in the air like he was about ready to attack someone.

"Eep!" Fujisaki peeped out, hiding behind Kuramoto.

"Found what exactly?" Kuramoto asked.

"This is the school store! You can trade in coins that you can find around the school and exchange them for various prizes!" Monokuma explained.

"If that's the case, why is it sealed?" Kuramoto questioned.

"Well... that's the thing." Monokuma said in a depressed tone. "I was hoping to implement his, but _he_ happened to scrap the idea."

"There's no way something like that could be implemented into the story and be something other than irrelevant filler. That's what he told me when I brought the idea to him! To think I had used up so much time building everything just to have it all go to waste!" Monokuma added, clearly angry.

"Ok, who and what are you talking about?" Kuramoto was just as confused as the rest of the group.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Monokuma answered, changing demeanor. "Regardless, the place is empty so even if you did managed to break through the tape, you won't find anything of use here."

And with that Monokuma vanished.

"..."

"Let's get going." Celes finally said. "Worrying about every nonsensical thing that that bear does is just going to create a headache."

With the others agreeing, the group continued to press on with their exploration. Sadly, the search proved to be fruitless. They had managed to come across an AV Room, but didn't have internet, discs or hard drives and no means of taking the materials apart in the room, making it all but useless. The group also came across a giant red door, but it was locked as well.

After the team decided to move left since right lead to the locked red door, they found two classrooms. However, they both appeared to be the same. But, there was one new fact that was discovered. Upon entering the closest one, while Celes and Fujisaki where searching around, they stopped for a second as they heard tapping near the wall that had the iron plates. They looked to see that the noise was coming from Kuramoto.

"Kuramoto-san, what are you doing?" Fujisaki asked.

" _Damn, the walls are a no-go, they are reinforced with a sturdy metal. Tuscon or titanium would my first guesses. The more I think about, the more this place seems to be built like a fortress. But of course, the big question is why?"_ Kuramoto pondered.

"Kuramoto-san." Celes said a little louder. It was enough to snap Kuramoto out of this thoughts.

"Sorry about that." Kuramoto spoke. "It looks like the walls are reinforced with some type of metal plating. No way we're getting past them without powerful tools or weapons."

"How did you managed to figure that out with just tapping?" Celes asked, impressed.

"When a wall is built and/or reinforced with different materials, the sounds that they make have subtle differences, experience with the different materials allows me to tell the differences between them." Kuramoto answered.

"Anyways," Kuramoto switched subjects."Since it seems you two didn't find anything else, let's move on."

The group finally managed to reach the dorm area. The dorms were just further ahead while there was a cafeteria area that was being investigated by Ishimaru's team. In addition, there was a locked bathhouse, an incinerator room, a normal set of bathrooms and a storage room that was, like so many others, also blocked off. Lastly, there was another set of stairs that presumably went to the second floor, but it was also blocked off by a metal gate.

"At least the dorms seem to be less ominous when compared to the rest of the school." Fujisaki commented.

Kuramoto's group were now at the dorm rooms. Interestingly enough, the group actually had their dorms all next to one another. Kuramoto's room was the last room on the left, Celes's was the second to last and Fujisaki's was directly across from Celes's.

"It looks like the dorm rooms require our e-handbooks in order to unlock the door." Kuramoto stated, using his to unlock his door.

"Alright, let's go and check out our rooms, then." Celes said to the group.

Now unlocked, Kuramoto opened the door and stepped inside. He immediately noticed that the room was only lit with the light outside, so he instinctively went to go hit the light switch. Instead, he found a button. Upon pressing it, the room began to slowly light up. To Kuramoto's immediate left, there was a closet that contained multiple copies of the clothes that he was currently wearing. The room itself was basically like a study. Almost the entirety of the walls in the main area of the room had bookshelves made of mahogany and it had literally hundreds, if not thousands of books. In the center of the room, had a basic bed and a sturdy chandler above it. The room also had two desk, also made of mahogany, on the left and right side of the room. The one o f the left looked like one that was typically used for a drawer while the other looked like one used for work. That one had another light close by to it. Upon further inspection of the light sources, it actually wasn't the usual light bulbs, but instead self lighting candles. They were all set up so one the button was pressed, a current would run through the device attached to the candles and ignite them. Upon pressing the button again, a puff of wind would come from the same device would blow the candles out. There were plenty of pens on the desk as well as a note upon the work desk.

* * *

" **To the owner of this room, allow me to explain the importance of this room. Not only is this place your dorm, but this room is also unique to you both in its design and what it contains. Furthermore, only your e-handbook can open this room. It's not possible to hack the lock to this room, so don't worry about that. Every room also comes with a shower. Only the females have locks with them. The water will not run during nighttime, so keep that in mind. Lastly, I have a gift for everyone within the middle drawer of their desks. For the girls, a sewing kit complete with a diagram of the human body's artery points. Just follow the instruction if you wish to use this as a weapon. For the boys, a toolkit. One strike from most of these will end your victim. Happy killing!"  
**

* * *

Kuramoto simply scoffed after reading the end of the note. However, the information prior to that last remark may be useful, so he decided to return it back to the desk. Inside the work desk, it contained a portable chess set. Unfortunately, the rest of the drawers were empty. Taking a closer looks at the shelves of books. He noticed that the books covered a large variety of topics, from sciences, history, mythology, math, engineering, programming, and even a few novels. Even more interesting is that they were also in a wide variety of different languages too, all of which, to Kuramoto's surprise, he could understand. In addition to to Japanese, there was English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Latin, Faroese, Polish, Finnish, Swedish, Czechs, Slovak, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Hindi and Sanskrit. Furthermore, upon the book shelves, there were also a lot of notebooks.

" _What's this?"_ Kuramoto though as he began to look through them. _"All of these notebooks are empty, but there are far less sheets on these notebooks than there should be if they are brand new. Were some torn out? Could this Monokuma's doing?"_

Deciding to drop the subject for now, Kuramoto decided to pick up a pen and pocket notebook and put in his pockets. In the bathroom, he found the expected toiletries one would find in a bathroom. In addition, he found some booby pens and a first aid kit. Not the ones that you would typically see in a pharmacy, but ones that EMTs or combat medics would have. It even came with a thermal case that contained all blood types readily available for blood transfusions.

" _It would be best if I withhold the knowledge that I have this for now. This thing just might make difference between a person living or dying and if someone knows that I have this, they will likely be more certain to kill in a manner that I cannot treat or I could become a target myself."_

Putting the first aid kit and thermal case back and returned to the hallway.

"There you are." Celes greeted.

"Celes-san, Fujisaki-san. I assume you two are finished with inspecting your room?"

"Yeah." Fujisaki answered.

"Well, it's almost time to meet up with the others, so shall we head back?" Celes suggested.

"Before that, there's something I wish to check." Kuramoto stated. "Celes, could I have you return to your room for a few moments? I wish to verify the sound ventilation of the dorm rooms. "

Celes simply nodded and both her and Kuramoto quickly went back to their respective rooms and closed the doors behind them. After Kuramoto was back in his room. He screamed as loud as he could.

After waiting for a few moments, he quickly went back into the hallway.

"Did you hear anything, Celes-san?" Kuramoto asked.

"No, you?" Celes responded.

Kuramoto shook his head. "So the rooms are soundproof. That's good to know. Let's head to the cafeteria."

Upon entering the cafeteria, it looks like everyone else had already made it back.

"You guys are the last individuals to arrive. With that we can finally begin the reports." Ishimaru spoke as soon as Kuramoto's team arrived.

"My team mainly investigated here in the cafeteria area, we have plenty of food and water to go around. In addition, the food restocks on a daily basis, at least according to Monokuma." Ishimaru shared.

"I-I still can't believe y-you're seriously going to trust that thing." Fukawa remarked.

"We really don't have any other options for the moment, so for now, all we can do is take his word for it." Kuramoto explained. "My team and I primarily investigated the dorms. You need your e-handbooks to get inside. Additionally, each room has items and materials that are unique to us. " Kuramoto took the notebook he had in his pocket. "The notebook that you all can see came from my room, it's basically a study."

"The rooms also come with a clean shower, even with a lock. Although, it seems only girls' rooms have them." Celes added.

"There also the fact that the room is soundproof." Fujisaki commented. "Both Celes-san and Kuramoto-san tested it out just before arriving, not so much as a peep could be from either room."

"I guess I'll go next." Oowada said. "I'd reckon we try to see if we can force open the iron plates or maybe even the main entrance door, but…"

"Nothing, man. Even with all three of us working together, neither the plates or the door wouldn't budge so much as a centimeter." Kuwata continued.

"Furthermore," Ikusaba added. "The walls themselves are reinforced with a sturdy metal plating. No way we're getting past them without tools."

Kuramoto, Celes and Fujisaki just simply looked at one another upon hearing Ikusaba reach the same conclusion as Kuramoto.

"Our team went to search if they was a way to communicate to the outside." Asahina spoke for her team. "Sadly, we didn't find anything. Sorry."

"Afterwards, we came across Oowada's team and tried to help them out with the main entrance." Naegi continued for Asahina. "Even with all of us together, that main door still wouldn't budge."

"There's one other matter." Oogami inputted. "While it may not to do with our communication attempts, but there were gates at both near the gym and cafeteria area that blocked off stairs that go up. If we could get past them, they might provide a means of escape."

The students now turned to the two who have yet to share their information, Togami and Kirigiri.

"I tried to see if I could find anything out about the one behind, but I came up empty-handed." Togami simply said.

"That's it?" Ishimaru asked.

"If I had anything more to say, I would have said it." Togami replied.

" _That's not surprising. I doubt our captor would be foolish enough to leave behind clues that could be used to identify themselves. Even if something of importance was found, he likely wouldn't say anything due to the cameras."_ Kuramoto thought.

"What about you, Kirigiri-san?" Kuramoto asked.

Kirigiri just silently revealed a sheet of paper she had with her.

"Is that...a map of Hope's Peak Academy?" Naegi questioned.

"Let me see that map." Kuramoto requested, moving towards Kirigiri.

Taking out his e-handbook, he quickly cross-referenced the sheet Kirigiri had with the e-handbook's map.

"This isn't just a map, this is the blueprint of the 1st floor of Hope's Peak Academy." Kuramoto deduced.

"So this is the real Hope's Peak Academy.?" Naegi asked.

"Structurally, at least. However, there seems to be several modifications made to the building." Kirigiri answered.

"The iron plates, the metal hatch, the security cameras and monitors, the exterior metal plating and the Monokumas. I don't remember any of theses appearing when I was researching Hope's Peak Academy. " Kuramoto said.

"Anyways, that's all I have to show." Kirigiri finished. "So, Kuramoto-san, what did you figure out?"

"What do you mean? I already mentioned my team's findings." Kuramoto stated, slightly confused.

"I'm referring to what you found out personally." Kirigiri cleared up. "Based on what I've seen so far, I'd figure you might have learned that no one else has managed to figure out yet."

The entire room was look at Kuramoto, giving him their undivided attention.

" _So, they already have high expectations of me, already. Ah well, I suppose I can reveal a little bit of my conclusions."_

"I guess to start of with, I can say with certainty that our captor is clearly someone that has access to many resources and influence. Additionally, whoever is behind this has likely been planning this for a long time. Given everything that I have observed and deduced so far, I'd say we're talking about someone that has enough power to rival a country at a minimum."

"A c-country!?" was Naegi's reponse.

"Naturally, anyone who is capable of overtaking Hope's Peak and turn it into a spot for a killing game, all without any outside interference would easily have to have the nation in the palm of their hands." Togami explained. "Anyone who has even half of a brain could have figured that out."

"Well then, Togami." Kuramoto said in a condescending tone. "Did you also manage to figure out that if we are to assume that the one controlling the Monokuma and our captor are one in the same, the chances of the mastermind being amongst us is zero."

Shock was the response from everyone else. Most, from the fact that the one putting them into this dangerous situation could be one of them. Others, that Kuramoto could come to such a conclusion so hastily.

"There's no way you could have you possibly figured that out!" Togami accused.

"Oh, but I did _and_ I can prove it." Kuramoto replied.

"What?" Togami shouted in surprise.

"Explain yourself! How could you have possibly know this!?" Togami bellowed at Kuramoto

"Why should I have to explain?" Kuramoto asked. "If someone of a low birth such as myself could figure it out. It should be easy for someone like you."

"DO NOT TOY WITH ME!" Togami shouted, losing his patience. "YOU WILL TELL ME HOW YOU CAME TO YOUR ANSWER!"

Then, a dark chill began to enter the room and nearly everyone's hearts skipped a beat. Kuramoto eyes now carried a much darker look and his voice sounded very dangerous when he spoke again.

"I do not take orders from you, Togami. If you ever attempt to order me around again…. You. Will. Regret it." Kuramoto threatened.

Most individuals were beginning to back away from Kuramoto. Even the more stoic people in the group were showing signs of nervousness due to the sudden shift in demeanor. In fact, the only person who seemed to unfazed by this was Ikusaba.

Togami was trying to do his best to maintain his composure, but it was crippling fast. Those eyes. They didn't belong to some low life bookworm that Togami thought Kuramoto was. They belong to a killer. One that had both the capability and will to break his neck in two if he so wished and that was if he was lucky.

"Kuramoto-san, please just tell us how you know the Mastermind isn't one us." Kirigiri spoke up.

" _I'd much as I would like to potentially fan the flames more towards Togami, I'd rather avoid adding more tension that what is needed. I already got the message that I will not be pushed around by him across."_

The dark chill disappeared and Kuramoto's demeanor went back to normal.

"Fine, I did bring it up, so I might as well explain it." Kuramoto sighed.

"How I am certain the Mastermind isn't amongst us comes back to Monokuma itself. When the entrance ceremony was underway, I was at the back facing at an angle towards all of you. I didn't see any of you make any movements that might suggest one of you could be controlling it. Not to mention, if I was in the Mastermind shoes, I would be controlling that thing in a secured room. Furthermore, even if Monokuma was simply an AI, even the most currently advanced ones would still require some input, especially with a machine as advanced as Monokuma." Kuramoto explained.

"He's right." Fujisaki chipped in. "Even the most advanced AIs that I know of are not entirely autonomous and would still require a terminal to give commands to it."

"Any objections to my assertion?" Kuramoto asked his classmates.

No one answered.

"Good. That's all I have." Kuramoto finished.

"Nothing else?" Naegi asked.

"No, beside the information that I can share is limited given the cameras." Kuramoto answered. "You guys can continue the discussion if you want, I'll be in my room if anyone needs me."

With that Kuramoto headed back to his dorm.

* * *

 **Author Notes: For those of you wondering, the suffix for Togami's name when Kuramoto was addressing him was omitted on purpose to represent Kuramoto being very disrespectful towards him. Togami may seem a little OOC but I personally see him as the type of guy that would be taken off guard by someone who wouldn't deal with his nonsense and has the intellectual capabilities to stand against him. In addition, since the possibility of death has clearly never crossed his mind, it would make sense to be afraid when he is forced to confront that very possibility. I hoped you enjoyed and as always, I'm open to suggestions for improvements.**


	5. Arc 1 Part 2: Unending Mysteries

**Disclaimer:** **DanganRonpa belongs to Chunsoft, Spike and their respective associates. I do not own any of DanganRonpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Note: This chapter will be a little bit shorter than the previous parts. I hope you guys nevertheless. To those who have reviewed, followed and/or favorited this fanfic, you have most profound gratitude. I'm probably not the best when it comes writing and not all that experienced, either. So, it means a lot when folks are interested in my work. Anyways, enjoy the new part.  
**

* * *

 **Location: 1st Floor Hope's Peak Academy, Kuramoto's Room**

 **Time: 1430**

After leaving the rest of students at the cafeteria, Kuramoto had decided to head to his room to finally write down everything that he knew so far with the materials he now had.

* * *

 _Day 1 after imprisonment_

 _2:30 PM_

 _Important Points_

 _\- Myself and 15 other students are sealed within Hope's Peak Academy._

 _\- Kyoko Kirigiri and I are both currently suffering from amnesia (likely general amnesia)_

 _\- The captor communicates with us with an animatronic bear and refers to themselves as Monokuma. They explained that the only way to leave is to end a student's life without the others knowing._

 _\- Rules have been set into place and will mean death if they are not followed._

 _\- After exploring the school, we have access to only the 1st floor and found no means of leaving the school._

 _Observations/Details_

 _\- Whoever is being this has been planning this for a while_

 _\- Most of my knowledge wasn't affected by the amnesia (did the Mastermind chose not to affect it or could they simply not do so?)_

 _\- If Monokuma is being controlled by the same person as the one who placed us here, the Mastermind cannot be in our group (stay sharp for any evidence that could validate or invalidate this)_

 _\- Monokuma was ambiguous with explaining the details with the rules involving "graduation". He's likely withholding important information._

 _Potential allies:_

 _Kyoko Kirigiri (most level-headed of the group, possibly one of the smarter ones)_

 _Kiyotaka Ishimaru (unlikely to be the Mastermind or an accomplice of the Mastermind, good leadership qualities)_

 _Makoto Naegi (same as Ishimaru, already on good terms)_

 _Mondo Oowada (also already on good terms)_

 _Potential adversaries:_

 _Byakuya Togami (likely to cause problems in the group, good chances of being the Mastermind if the Mastermind isn't controlling Monokuma)_

 _Celestia Ludenberg (very difficult to read, potential for being manipulative)_

 _Sayaka Maizono (background indicates talents for being cutthroat and manipulative)_

 _Mukuro Ikusaba (SHSL soldier talent and seems to be wary of me)_

 _\- Rule 7 states that additional rules can be added at any time. (Use loopholes wisely)_

 _\- It seems only Kirigiri and I are affected severely by amnesia._

 _\- A lot of my notebooks in my room have missing pages. Could the Mastermind have removed them?_

 _\- How long have we all been here? Considering the time it would take to get everything not natural to the school step up, I'm guessing at least weeks, possibly longer.  
_

* * *

With that finished, Kuramoto decided to stretch out a bit from his work desk.

" _There still a bunch of unanswered questions. Why was it that just my memories and Kirigiri's taken? Who is our captor? What does our captor hope to accomplish? What are the additional aspects of the graduation rules that Monokuma isn't telling us?"_

" _..."_

" _It won't do me any good just staying here. Maybe I should grab a book and head somewhere else for a bit."_

 ***DING DONG***

" _Huh? Someone's at the door?"_

Kuramoto went to take a look at the door's peephole to find that it was Ikusaba at the entrance. Seeing who it was, Kuramoto decided to go ahead and open it.

"Hello Ikusaba-san, what brings you here?" Kuramoto said.

"I wish to talk to you." Ikusaba requested.

"Ah yes, you said you wanted to speak to me privately prior to entrance ceremony." Kuramoto remembered.

Ikusaba simply nodded.

"Alright, come on in. I just finished with the matters I was just working on."

Kuramoto gestured for Ikusaba to enter and she followed him inside.

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about Ikusaba-san?"

Ikusaba didn't say anything. Instead, she just stared at Kuramoto for a few moments before she pulled out a combat knife.

"Ikusaba-san? What are you doing?" Kuramoto asked nervously.

Ikusaba then suddenly charge forward.

As Ikusaba got within attacking distance, from Kuramoto's perspective, everything began to slow down.

" _This feeling. I recognize it."_

As Ikusaba attempted to slash Kuramoto, he stepped back, just got out of range and before Ikusaba could get her arm back into place to prepare another attack, Kuramoto already grabbed hold of it and then…

 ***WHAM***

The room echoed with the sound of an intense impact. More specifically, Kuramoto had just kneed Ikusaba in the stomach. The impact was enough for Ikusaba to drop the knife. With the knife now dropped, Kuramoto proceeded to throw Ikusaba hard enough to cause her to stumble and fall. At the same time, Kuramoto placed his foot on the now dropped knife and slide it behind him, safely out of Ikusaba's reach.

"Care to explain to me what that was all about?" Kuramoto demanded, his dark demeanor from before now returning.

"I should be asking you that." Ikusaba replied, quickly getting back up from the previous assault with another combat knife at the ready. "Who are you, really? You claim to be a Mastermind, yet you're demeanor and reflexes tell me you are combat veteran, well beyond just simply knowing a thing or two about fighting."

" _So, that's what this is all about. She figured out that I was an adept fighter despite my talents and reasons for being summoned to this school is based of intellectual feats. Damn it, it's really frustrating that I have no memories of my past at all! *Sigh* All I can do for now is to continue to trust my instincts. It's too risky to try to be deceitful at this point and I really don't feel like to lying unless I absolutely have to."_

"I see. You figured that I had way more competence at combat than what my title should dictate. Therefore, you find me to be suspicious, correct?" Kuramoto assessed.

Ikusaba simply nodded in response to Kuramoto words.

"My apologies, but my story behind why I have the combat feats that I do isn't something I will share with just anyone. Beside, given the circumstances, whether or not you can be considered trustworthy remains to be seen. I will say this though. I was invited to Hope's Peak Academy as the SHSL Mastermind, I am telling the truth about that." Kuramoto said.

Kuramoto and Ikusaba stared each other down, before Ikusaba broke the silence.

"Very well, you don't strike me as the malicious type and I'm not getting the impression that you are lying either."

"Well, I'm glad the air is cleared up on that matter." Kuramoto said relieved.

"By the way, Ikusaba-san," Kuramoto said, changing topics. "If you are interesting in getting on the right track of earning my trust, I have some time to spare. Do you wish to hang out? "

"Sure." Ikusaba simply replied. "Do you want to stick around here or do you wish to head somewhere else?"

"Let's head to the cafeteria. I haven't had anything to eat today so I would like to go and grab some food." Kuramoto answered, returning Ikusaba's weapon to her.

* * *

So, the two went to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat. Shortly after finished, they stuck around to continue talking with one another.

"You said earlier that you were a part of Fenrir, correct? I am curious to know a bit more about Fenrir and your experiences with them. Assuming that it's ok with you." Kuramoto said.

"I guess I can start with telling you a bit more about the group itself. Fenrir is a mercenary group, if you didn't know that already. Despite the fact that it is a mercenary group, it is organized like a military battalion and in many nations, the group is acknowledged as its own military unit." Ikusaba began to explain.

"So that's the reason why you are named the Ultimate Soldier instead of the Ultimate Mercenary." Kuramoto concluded.

"Correct. Fenrir originally formed as a group from the Faeroe Islands just when the nation was starting to become independent, a few years after WW2. With many success, the mercenary group started to expand it's recruitment and services to all of Europe and eventually reached the globe." Ikusaba continued explaining.

"Intriguing, but it make sense given the events that were occurring during that time." Kuramoto said with fascination.

"I've been meaning to ask." Kuramoto took over the conversation. "That tattoo on your right hand, is that from Fenrir?"

"Yes, it is." Ikusaba simply said, showing her right hand to Kuramoto. "All members of Fenrir have them somewhere on their bodies."

" _It's quite surprising. Both him and Naegi-kun haven't regarded me with either fear or concern even with what's been happening. It's a nice feeling_ _not being judged by others because of my talent_ _."_ _Ikusaba thought to herself._

"So what about you? I don't really have any idea what someone called the Ultimate Mastermind would really do on a day to day basis." Ikusaba asked.

"Me?" Kuramoto responded. "Well, I spend most of my time either doing investigation work or research, otherwise I work to keep my skills sharpened or learn new ones. You already witnessed combat being one of them, but I happen to know a lot more as well, from speaking a ton of languages, to being knowledgeable in most forms of sciences, understanding building architect, there's a bunch of different things."

"Which makes it all the more surprising that you are a skilled fighter." Ikusaba said.

"One tends to make a lot of enemies when you have the intellectual competency as myself and are under no one's control and of course, not all problems can be resolved with diplomacy." Kuramoto brought up once more.

"A fair point." Ikusaba simply said.

" _We continued to converse for a for some time. Mainly, it was trading information about what we knew about our respective fields. Ikusaba-san definitely seems to be quite a bit more talkative than what I have seen her when compared to how she was earlier. On top of that, with the earlier matter cleared up, her earlier caution towards me has been somewhat lifted. Maybe she'll be a valuable ally, after all._ Kuramoto thought to himself.

The two of them eventually parted ways, but not before Ikusaba-san turned around and stated.

"Kuramoto-kun?"

"Yes, Ikusaba-san?"

Ikusaba gave a small smile to Kuramoto.

"Thank you for inviting me. I hope we can do this again in the future."

"Your welcome and I hope to continue this as well. However, let's avoid making it a habit of greeting one another by trading blows...Ikusaba-chan." Kuramoto dryly joked.

"Will do." Ikusaba said back, still smiling.

After that, Ikusaba left the cafeteria.

"You two seem to get along quite nicely."

Kuramoto turned to the direction where the voice came from to find Kirigiri standing there.

"Yeah, it seems that way for the moment." Kuramoto answered.

"It's rather curious as to how Ikusaba-san seems to be chatty with only you and Naegi-san."

"Really?"

"Yes, I noticed it when I was investigating on my own. I briefly passed by Oowada-san's and Naegi-san's teams when they were together, Ikusaba-san seemed to be more open and talkative towards Naegi-san more so than anyone else." Kirigiri deduced.

"Interesting. Although, you surprise me Kirigiri-san. I'd never have taken you to be the stalking type."

Kirigiri just simply glared at Kuramoto after that response.

"There's no need to get so worked up, Kirigiri-san. I'm only jesting." Kuramoto put his hands up in surreneder.

"This is hardly the time or place to be joking around, Kuramoto-san." Kirigiri answered, still annoyed.

"On the contrary, I don't there's a better time to do so. After all, humor is one of the best ways to help keep one's psyche healthy and I think everyone is going to need all the help they can get to keep it that way." Kuramoto explained.

"I suppose I can't deny that." Kirigiri reluctantly agreed.

"Anyways, what you need from me?" Kuramoto said, switching topics. "Unless, you did decide to come here just to chit-chat with me?"

" I wanted to see if you were really out of information. It seemed a little too small amount given the time you had to investigate when compared to your previous deductions. " Kirigiri bluntly stated.

" _She's quite perceptive. Hmmm…given what I know so far and the conclusions I have drawn. Maybe I could try to solidify an alliance."_

"Ah, so you noticed. I suppose I could give you a hint towards what's on the forefront of my mind." Kuramoto stated repositioning himself to bit a closer to Kirigiri.

"At this angle, our captor can't read my lips and at this volume, they shouldn't be able to hear me." Kuramoto whispered.

"Now then, the major thing that concerns me just as, if not, more than our missing memories is the time that has passed. More specifically, the time between when everyone lost consciousness and when we awoke inside this school."

"I see, thank you Kuramoto-san. In return for your help. I would like to give you this." Kirigiri whispered back.

Kirigiri had discreetly placed a sheet of paper within Kuramoto pocket.

"I had found this as well when investigating. I figured you might be able to figure something out with this."

"I'll see what I can find out about it." Kuramoto quietly said.

"How interesting." Kirigiri stated, raising her volume and stepping back from Kuramoto. "I'll be sure to look into the matter."

Kuramoto quickly catching on to what she was doing, simply answered back.

"Good. Hopefully what I have told you will aid you in your investigation. If you'd like, I have no problem with us continuing to trade information like this."

"Sure, I don't mind. But we will need a more discreet means of passing information to one another. I'd prefer not to let the Mastermind know what we found out."

"I'm fine with that. We'll start trading more info once we have a more secure means of passing information."

"I will see you later, Kuramoto-san."

"One last thing, Kirigiri-san." Kuramoto called out.

"?"

"While you are investigating, do be careful and try not to break anything."

"There's nothing in the rules that states-" Kirigiri began.

"Please take a closer look at the last rule." Kuramoto cut off Kirigiri.

* * *

 **Rule 7: Additional rules may be added if deemed necessary. The additional rules may add exceptions to the previous ones, but they cannot directly contradict another rule already in place.**

* * *

"In other words, we will only have one chance to exploit any weaknesses within the rules. Use the loopholes you find wisely."

Kirigiri simply nodded before taking her leave.

The rest of the day turned out to pretty uneventful, so after dinner, Kuramoto decided to return to his room.

As soon as he returned to his room, he found a note on the floor.

* * *

 _Kuramoto-san,_

 _The rest of our classmates have agreed to stay within one's room during the nighttime hours. Since you weren't around I decided to write this note instead to inform you. I hope you will agree to this self-imposed curfew as well. Take care and watch your back._

 _Celestia Ludenberg  
_

* * *

" _Well, at the very least, this looks like a girl's handwriting. It makes sense that someone would want a curfew set up. If not for the purposes of maintaining normalcy, then it's to make sure that paranoia doesn't eat away at us. For right now, I don't see any reason to not comply with this for the time being."_

Kuramoto decided to go ahead and make use of the shower and head to his work desk afterwards.

" _Now then, let's see what this note that Kirigiri had given me has to say."  
_

* * *

 _-, -, -_

 _I am close, I nearly have the last piece of evidence necessary to end - plans. I have enough individuals necessary behind me. I just need to-_

 _-, -, -_

 _I'm too late. Everything is going to hell. -. I failed to-_

 _-, -, -_

 _I'm been forced to -I don't have any idea on how- If I don't do something, they'll-  
_

* * *

Kuramoto stood their for a moment trying to process the little bit of information that he could with this note.

" _There's one thing that I can say for certain. This handwriting is mine. There are so many things on this thing that are blacked out that it is hard to make out any of this. But from what I can gather, it looks like I was pursuing someone and was trying to put a stop to their plans and something bad ended up happening. Hmmmm…...considering that it's not likely that this note was left due to carelessness, maybe this is related to what's happening now? If nothing else, this adds credence to the idea that we have been here longer than I originally thought."_

Kuramoto decided to go ahead and add to his pocket journal that he had.

* * *

 _Day 1 after imprisonment_

 _9:45 PM_

 _Important Points_

 _\- Ikusaba suspected me of not being who I said I was (the air was cleared up on that matter)_

 _\- Kirigiri and I have formed a partnership for the moment._

 _\- Kirigiri imparted a note she had found while investigating. (I'm sure I wrote it)_

 _\- According to a note that says is from Celes, the others have agreed on a nighttime curfew._

 _Observations/Details_

 _\- According to Kirigiri, Ikusaba only seems to be open to myself and Naegi._

 _\- With the previous information and the air being cleared between us, Ikusaba would be a good candidate as an ally._

 _\- Keep an eye out for any reliable means of communicating privately with the others_

 _\- The note from Kirigiri was convoluted and many parts of it were blacked out. Did the Mastermind leave this for us? What did I fail at? Who was I pursuing?"_

* * *

Kuramoto decided to put down his pen, thinking that that was satisfactory. As he did, a school bell rung and the monitor in the room turned on.

" _ **Ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 10PM. Nighttime is now in effect. The cafeteria will soon be locked and entry at that point will be strictly prohibited. Upupupupupupu. Goood nnnniiiiiigghhtt."**_

" _Looks like it nighttime now. No real reason to stay up. *Sigh* It's hard to accept that all of this is happening. Us being trapped in a famous school, meeting a monochrome bear demanding that we kill one another if we want to leave. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we are in some kind of game or movie. Oh well, let's just get some sleep. I'm going to need all the mental fortitude that I can muster, if not for my sake, then for the rest of my classmates."_

That was last thoughts that ran across Kuramoto mind before he fell asleep.

* * *

 **Location: ?**

 **Time: ?**

"Kuramoto-san?"

"Kuramoto-san!"

Looking up Kuramoto spotted a man in his forties. He was 173 cm tall, had had short, brown hair with a chevron mustache to go with it. He also had sharp, green eyes. He was wearing a white and gray long sleeve and vest combo as well as black blue jeans and brown shoes.

As soon as he heard his voice, Kuramoto gave the man his undivided attention.

"Yes, Hiroshi-san?"

"Seeing as things are relatively quiet for now, I was hoping to talk with you."

"Oh, ok. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong. I'm just worried about you. Despite you working here for a few months you haven't spoken much to anyone. Not even Tomomi-chan."

"My apologies, I'm just trying to earn my keep. I have only moved in recently and don't have a lot of resources to spare."

Hiroshi just stared at Kuramoto for a moment before sitting down next to him and saying.

"You are trying to drown yourself in your work in order to distract yourself from something, aren't you?"

"!"

"I figured that might be the case. I've been a part of this precinct's Criminal Investigation department for a long time. I can tell when something is eating away at a person. I want to be able to help you, so please, tell me what is on your mind."

"..."

"Hiroshi-san, can you keep a secret?"

* * *

 **Author Notes: I hoped you enjoyed and as always, I'm open to suggestions for improvements. See you all in the next chapter.**


	6. Arc 1 Part 3: Before the Storm

**Disclaimer:** **DanganRonpa belongs to Chunsoft, Spike and their respective associates. I do not own any of DanganRonpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Note: Ok, at long last, the next part of the chapter is here. Yeah, this one has been long overdue. But, I am glad I finally managed to finish this one up. Anyways, enjoy the new part.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer: Mastermind vs Mastermind, that's pretty much the core idea that I had in mind when deciding to create this fanfic . As for your suggestion,I have a few things in mind for changing things up. While there will be a few things that I will be keeping similar or identical to the original story, do keep in mind if certain parts are the same to the original, it is for a reason.**

 **LazyWriterDude: Glad you are liking this so far. As for whether or not he will stop any killings. Upupupupu….I guess you will have to keep tuning in to find out.  
**

* * *

 **Location: 1st Floor Hope's Peak Academy, Kuramoto's Room  
**

 **Time: 0650**

Kuramoto awoke to darkness. The headache and nausea from yesterday had began to return.

" _Uurrrrgrghhh. What the hell!? Again. Why is this happening again."_

" _..."_

" _I had some kind of dream. I was talking to someone. It was someone called Hiroshi."_

Before Kuramoto could process anything else. It happened again. His headache has once more exponentially increased in agony to the point that he couldn't think of anything else. After a few moments, a flash of insight began to appear, then more began to appear in quick succession until after a few minutes, it stopped and the headache and nausea began to linger.

" _Kenjiro Hiroshi, Minoru Takara, Miya Tonomi, Kano Minato. I remember them. They are co-workers of mine. I would take jobs with them from time to time as hired help. They worked at the Criminal Investigation's branch of a local precinct, it wasn't very big, but it was closeby and it did provide me with plenty of work for my day to day life. My heart aches when I think about them. I must have been close with them."_

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

" _ **Ahem, this is a school announcement. Goooood mooorning, everyone! It is now 7AM.! Nightime is now over! Get ready to greet another beaaauutiful day! "**_

" _So, nighttime is over now. I should head to the cafeteria and see what I cook up for breakfast."_

As Kuramoto was preparing to get up and head to the cafeteria...

*DING DONG*

" _Oh, someone's at the door."_

Kuramoto took a look to find that Ishimaru was at the door.

"Morning Ishimaru." Kuramoto said somewhat groggily.

"Fantastic morning to you, Kuramoto-san!" Ishimaru replied.

"So, what did you need?"

"Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground and even the harshest waves won't knock you down." Ishimaru started.

Kuramoto was in a pretty sour mood given his headache and nausea were still lingering and that he was not much of a morning person. Seeing where Ishimaru was going with this, he sighed loudly and stated firmly.

"Ishimaru-san."

"Yes?"

"I'm going to say this as nicely as I can. I have yet to any coffee or tea this morning. In addition, my start so far as been poor, even accounting for our situation. If you have a point for visiting me, please get to it."

"Right, sorry." Ishimaru apologized.

"In order to build teamwork with the rest of our classmates, I decided that starting today, we will have breakfast every morning 30 minutes after the morning announcement! Please make sure you are there by 0730!"

"Got it. By the way, since you are here, did you or your team find any tea or coffee in the cafeteria?"

"Yes, we did, it's in the drawers next to where the canned food is at."

"Perfect, thanks Ishimaru-san, I'll be over there in a moment."

After Ishimaru left Kuramoto room, Kuramoto left his room shortly after to make his way to the dining hall. He was about 10 minutes early before the designated meet time, so he decided to go ahead and head to the kitchen area and make himself some tea. By the time it had finished, the other students had arrived. He took his seat with them both tea and fruit at hand.

"Excellent, everyone's here! Let's begin the breakfast assembly right away!" Ishimaru announced.

"I appreciate everyone taking the time to come here this morning."

"Whatever, I told you to screw off, but you dragged me here anyway." Kuwata scoffed.

"I already mentioned this earlier," Ishimaru continued, ignoring Kuwata "that in order to escape, we must cooperate as much as possible! I proposed this breakfast as the first step towards strengthening the trust between us! I trust everyone will be here every morning, 30 minutes after the announcement. With that said, let's eat!"

Kuramoto began to go ahead and drink his recently made tea that he made. Celes also decided to go ahead and pour some for herself. After taking a sip of it..

"Oh my, this is actually pretty good." Celes said surprised.

Both Asahina and Ikusaba who were right next to Celes picked up the tea and drank some it themselves.

"You're right, this is good." Asahina said.

"Did you make this Kuramoto-kun?" Ikusaba asked.

"I did. I figured that given the circumstances, some tea would do me some good."

"Well, well. I could certainly use someone who is able to make tea of this caliber." Celes said.

"How did you learn how to make tea this good?" Ashaina asked.

"Geez, you guys make it seem like I'm withholding some kind of convoluted secret behind this." Kuramoto stated.

"I simply just started picking up some recipes and started learning. I eventually just got good at it. I do live on my own, after all. So, I don't exactly have the luxury of having someone else prepare food or beverages for me."

" _At the very least, that makes the most sense to me since I was actively searching for work."_

The breakfast continued to go without a hitch for a few minutes before Kuwata decided to ask.

"Did anyone manage to find additional clues?" Kuwata asked.

"Ummm….well." Fujisaki stuttered out.

"Considering the crazy and demented nature of Monokuma, maybe that infamous homicidal maniac might be responsible for this. You know, Genocider Syo?"

"You mean that serial killer that's all over the TV and internet!?" Naegi said.

" _Genocider Syo, I've heard of them. In fact, I know enough to the point where I think I might have done some investigating on his killer."_ Kuramoto thought.

"Rumors say his victims number in the thousands, dude." Hagakure stated.

"Isn't that just rumors?" Ikusaba commented. "I'm pretty sure the actual number is around 10 to 20, but it's still quite a lot."

"27." Kuramoto stated, earning him stares filled with confusion. "27 confirmed victims. All male."

"Intriguing. Care to share with us how you know that?" Celes asked.

"Well, prior to coming here, I apprenticed as a detective. After my apprenticeship was complete, I have done odd jobs at a local precinct's Criminal Investigations department as a part of my everyday life. I heard about the Genocider Syo cases but I was never tasked with those work on those cases so I just did some investigating about it on my own."

"Any ideas as to whom it might be?" Kuwata asked.

"Unfortunately, no. The individual is quite elusive so I haven't been able to pinpoint a culprit. However, there are two confirmed attributes about Genocider Syo that reduces the number of people that fit the profile. First, based of the time of the deaths of the victims, Genocider Syo is likely a person who is currently attending school. Second, due to the person in question staying at the crime scene for extended periods of time and then fleeing in a hurry irrespective of external circumstances, it also likely that Genocider Syo has an extreme case of Dissociative Identity Disorder."

"Dissociative Identity Disorder? I thought that was just a fictional illness?" Kirigiri said.

"Apparently not. I'm not going to claim that I am a doctor or psychologist. But, if I had to take a guess, DID could manifest as a result of extreme trauma or heavy repression of emotions. In either case, heavy psychological backlash is usually the end result. In order to the protect one's own mind from just straight up snapping, one possible self-defense mechanism would be a forceful compartmentalization of the emotions or traumatic experiences. Taking that into consideration, in theory, a personality separate from the conscious mind could be created." Kuramoto explained.

"Anyways, we are getting somewhat sidetracked. While it's not a bad suggestion, due to Genocider Syo's impulsive nature and all of Genocider Syo's victims being killing in the exact same manner, the chances of Genocider Syo being responsible for this pretty low." Kuramoto continued.

"Oh...I see...sorry." Fujisaki said sadly.

"Don't worry about, Fujisaki-san. It's important to go through all possibilities anyway when solving a mystery, regardless of how obvious some answers may or may not seem. It prevents one from losing sight of the truth." Kuramoto replied.

"Since we are still talking about detective stuff, why haven't we been rescued by the police yet? I mean we have been trapped here for a while and we got several people here who would definitely be noticed if they went missing." Asahina asked.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Police? You guys are holding out for the police!? You guys must be desperate. Desperate enough to kill, I'd say."

As soon as those words were spoken Monokuma had reappeared.

"You dare show your face around here!" Oogami shouted, looking like she was ready to pounce at the bear.

"Has anyone told you how much of a pest you are?" Kuramoto asked in an annoyed tone.

"My, my, aren't we feeling crabby today?" Monokuma laughed.

"I'm stuck in a school with a psychotic, obnoxious monochrome bear. Anyone would be a crabby mood." Kuramoto replied in a deanpanned manner.

"Upupupu! You're such a tsundere, Kuramoto-kun. I can see it now, all the glorious fan service between us. Under that exterior of logic and indifference, is a fanboy who is head over heels in love with me. I can't wait to see what creations people will make between us."

"Wow, you're saying folks would have to go out of their way to make fiction in order for any synergy between us. I actually feel bad for how low you have sunk to get to that point." Kuramoto joked.

A few people actually snickered a bit from that remark from Kuramoto. Yamada felt hurt which isn't surprising given his love for Doujinshi.

"Banter aside, what do you want?" Kirigiri asked.

"I'm just here to remind everyone that if you really want out of here, all you have to do is kill someone!"

While the rest of his classmates were going on about how they weren't going to give into Monokuma's demands. Kuramoto started to retreat into his own thoughts.

" _Asahina did bring about a fair point earlier. Why hasn't there been any rescue attempts yet? If I remember right…"_

 **Flashback**

" _I just hope my teammates over at the precinct will be okay while I'm gone. Ah, that's right! I have to make sure that I let them know that today went as planned once the opening ceremony is over. It would be rather troublesome if they ended up bargaining into the school grounds assuming the worst unnecessarily."_

 **End Flashback**

" _In addition to what Asahina said earlier, it sounds like I gave instructions to my co workers to assume the worst if I didn't reply to them. Could Monokuma really have that level of control to silence all levels of investigation of several missing high profile people? No, even if that was the case, it still doesn't make sense that not a single person that any of us are close to or related to wouldn't take any action to try looking around Hope's Peak to find us. Is it possible that something major is going on outside that is preventing anyone from making any rescue attempts?"_

"Light Bulb! " Monokuma shouted. "I was wondering why no one had made any attempts to kill someone yet despite all the variables being in place. It looks like I overlooked one!"

"What do you mean?" Naegi asked.

"I'm referring to a motive! You guys haven't been given a reason to kill yet. No worries, I'll be fixing that problem." Monokuma answered.

"I have a little surprise set up for everyone that I will be revealing tomorrow morning. I'll see you guys then!"

"Hold on. What exactly are you? What exactly do you hope to gain by doing this to us?" Kirigiri asked.

"What I gain, you ask?" Monokuma tilted his head. "Well, if you really wish to know…"

"Your despair. That's all."

" _Despair? What does it mean by that? Could it be some kind of code word or perhaps that's exactly what it wants? If it's the latter, why? Is there some sort of purpose for having us feel despair or could this simply be the whims of a very dangerous psychopath? I...can't shake the feeling that this is something of importance."_

"The rest you will have to figure out on your own. If you wish to uncover the mysteries behind this school, by all means go for it. After all, it's entertaining watch you all frantically search for answers! You especially, Kuramoto-kun!"

All eyes were on Kuramoto at this point. Kuramoto simply narrowed his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on! Anyone who has anything resembling a brain can easily tell you are the smartest of the group. I can also tell you have already began processing the information I just gave you. I can't wait till we cross paths again! It will be so euphoric to see that face of yours when all that is left is despair! Upupupupupu! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

With that Monokuma disappeared. The room was left with a deafening silence.

"Interesting...we are free to explore the academy in pursuit of the truth and he doesn't plan on stopping us." Kirigiri said, breaking the silence.

"Indeed, it also looks like our captor has a personal interest in Kuramoto-san." Celes added.

Everyone once again turned to Kuramoto.

"I wish I could say I knew who our captor is, but I cannot. At the very least, from the way they worded it, I have crossed paths with them at least once, but due to the rather large of amount of enemies that I have, that's not enough to narrow down the list of suspects. Additionally, I don't recall coming across anyone who has level of impulsiveness, psychopathy and intelligence all at once."

A few looked at him with some skepticism, others with worry and concern.

But despite everyone's worries about the new information Monokuma provided, everyone continued their breakfast and afterwards began to go their own separate ways.

"Kuramoto-kun."

"Ah. Hello, Naegi-kun, what's up?" Kuramoto said.

"Did you want to hang today. I was hoping to get to know you a little better."

"Ok, sure. Lead the way."

" _The two of us began to converse with one another while walking in the middle of the hallway. It wasn't about anything special. While I would have preferred to have a book with me or investigate the area, getting to know my classmates is useful in itself and I doubt I'm going to make much more headway towards finding any information about our situation or our captor without any new clues. Makoto Naegi, just like I thought just before I entered the school, he's the epitome of average. Comes from a decent middle class upbringing, is part of a family of four. His main interests are talking with friends and whatever else comes to mind at the moment. We eventually stop at the laundry room to talk."_

"How are you holding up, Kuramoto-kun?"

"Ok. The situation could be better, but it could easily be worse."

"T-that's true."

"What about you? Despite the circumstances, you seem to be doing ok."

"Yeah, I'm glad no one has done anything yet."

"By the way, Naegi-kun, I've been meaning to ask? Do you happen to know Maizono-san? I have frequently seen you two together ever since we have arrived here."

"Yeah, we attended the same middle school."

"Ah, I see. So you two know each other outside of Hope's Peak. That make sense."

" _He likely will not take it well, but I think it's important that I tell him."_

"Naegi-kun, can I give you a bit of advice?"

"Oh, um...sure. What is it?"

"Be careful around Maizono-san."

"W-What?"

"I do not know her very well, but she is a part of the entertainment business and I _do_ know that for those who stay at the top for a long period of time, very shady actions are quite common. It's a possibility that she could just using you."

"There's no way she's like that!"

"How can say for certain? How well do you actually know Maizono-san, Naegi-kun? Can you truly look at me in the eyes and say with total conviction that the idea the Maizono-san doing underhanded deeds to stay relevant as an idol is impossible."

"..."

Naegi could not refute what Kuramoto was saying, especially not after what Maizono had told him yesterday after they left the meeting together to find a self defense weapon.

 **Flashback**

" I did whatever it took to reach that dream. I mean it. Even some things that...weren't so pleasant."

 **End Flashback**

"If nothing else, please take the advice from the eyes of someone who is very familiar with how the world's "elite" is structured and what kind of people consistently make it to the top."

"I refuse to believe that Maizono-san is like that!"

"I'm not saying that she is, but it's a possibility. And in a situation like this, a possibility like that is way too dangerous to just brush off. While it's admirable to be willing to trust others, doubly so in this type of environment, there's a fine line between trusting others and just blindly believing in what they say. If nothing else, all I am just saying is to be careful, alright?"

Naegi had nodded, but his anger and frustration at Kuramoto remark was still clearly there. Unbeknownst to both of them, there was someone that was eavesdropping on them.

" _I hope he at least will take heed to my advice. Well, from what I have learned, he does seem really easy to talk to. That's a very valuable trait to have in these circumstances, especially with the charisma that he has. Anyone who's capable of keeping people at a healthy psychological level is extremely valuable. I'd hate to see him perish due to unmerited trust in another. I will need to keep my eyes on him."_

After that conversation, they had decided to part ways. Kuramoto had not eaten since breakfast, so he decided to head out to the cafeteria to grab some food.

"There you are, I was hoping to find you."

Kuramoto looked up to find Celes.

"I was wondering if you were interested in joining me and a few others for a game of poker."

Behind her was both Ikusaba and Oowada.

"Is this a friendly game or is there something at stake?" Kuramoto asked.

"Sadly, there isn't much to bet on so, this one is just for amusement. I am curious to see how the Ultimate Mastermind approaches a game of luck."

"Sure, why not?"

As the cards were begin dealt, Kuramoto decided to strike up a conversation.

"I'm surprised Celes-san was able to convince you two to play." Kuramoto commented.

"Yeah, well. I'm actually know how to play poker. A few of my crew would set up games every now and again and they themselves are really good players. " Oowada answered.

"My squad mates and I would frequently play whenever we were not out on a mission or exercising to bypass the time." Ikusaba answered.

With the cards dealt the game began. Truthfully, all the players were actually decent. Celes, unsurprisingly, had the lead, Kuramoto was just behind, followed by Ikusaba and then Oowada. As the game progressed further, eventually, Oowada and Ikusaba were eliminated from the game. With Celes's ability to easily read others and Kuramoto deduction and perceptive abilities, the game was going on with the two of them nearly dead even. However, slowly but surely, Celes started gaining the upper hand.

"It looks fortune is no longer favoring you." Celes said, smiling.

"It seems that way." Kuramoto said as he folded another hand.

"Don't worry bro, you can still do this!" Oowada encouraged.

Another hand was dealt and this time an ace of spades, 4 of spades and ace of hearts was revealed. After both Celes and Kuramoto decided to stay in, the next card that was revealed was the 5 of spades. Kuramoto had reflexively slightly narrowed his eyes upon seeing that card.

" _Perfect. This is a good chance to finish this game right now."_ Celes deduced.

"Why don't we make this round the last one?" Celes suggested as she pulled all of her chips forward. "All in."

Kuramoto hesitated for a second.

" _I see, she's interested in ending is game, huh? Very well, I'll bite."_

"Alright, all in." Kuramoto followed suit.

The last card that was revealed was the 7 of diamonds.

"Full house." Celes smiled, revealing her cards. An ace of clubs and a five of diamonds.

"Shame. It looks like this is over." Kuramoto said, revealing his cards. A 2 and 3 of spades.

Celes just simply stood there in shock.

"W-WHAT!? A STRAIGHT FLUSH!?" Celes shouted out in an uncharacteristic manner.

"I figured you would eventually make a mistake based of the trap I had set up." Kuramoto stated.

"From the start of the game, I had decided on which actions I would use in order to indicate what type of hands I would have. All the rounds in between this one where merely served as distractions and solidification of the habits. I figured you would sooner or later take the bait and make a mistake based on my actions. The game was over the moment you closed off any other possibilities that my actions could have been." Kuramoto explained to the group.

"Man, that's pretty crazy." Oowada said.

"I wouldn't have even considered you'd pull a move like that." Ikusaba added.

"You guys make it sound like I do some absurd logic jumps or something. In truth, it's often a lot simpler than that. Most of my conclusions and decision making primarily comes from whether or not I have the knowledge and the means to apply it. Since we are on the subject of cards, let's use them as an example. Can you guys tell me what the odds are of the bottom card of a new deck will be an ace of spades?"

"That would be 1 in 54 odds, right? Since, excluding the joker cards, there's only 1 ace of spades in a deck and 54 cards in total." Ikusaba answered.

"Your reasoning is good, however, there's more to it than that. You see, the important point of my question is the fact that the deck is new. Practically all card manufacturers have the decks organized in a different way. However, they always have the spades at the bottom of the deck."

Both Oowada and Ikusaba's eyes lit up at the realization and they could see where Kuramoto was going with this.

"You see? With just a little bit of information, the original 1.8 percent chances just jumped to 100 percent. The only real differences between me and the rest of you guys is that I've spent a lot more time developing my knowledge base and logic."

"I hope that answers your question, Celes-san." Kuramoto said, looking at Celes.

"My question?"

"You wanted to know how I approach a game of luck, correct? As you can see, since poker is one of those games that's difficult to manipulate the cards themselves due to the dealer constantly shifting, the next best thing is to either predict or manipulate the actions of the players and act accordingly, just like any strategy game. After that, it's just a matter of taking advantage of the openings and mistakes a person makes." Kuramoto answered.

"I-I see." Celes said, recovering from her earlier shock. "I guess I will have to take that into account when we play again."

"Indeed. Rematches always tend to be far more interesting since now that you have experience with your opponent, a lot more variables are added to the equation. However, that will have to be for another time." Kuramoto said, looking at the clock. "Nighttime will be upon us soon and I would prefer to get a shower in beforehand."

With those parting words, Kuramoto left the others and headed to his dorm room.

* * *

 _Day 2 after imprisonment_

 _9:30 PM_

 _Important Points_

 _\- Ishimaru is having us all meet at the cafeteria at 0730 every morning._

 _\- Monokuma has a motive prepared to give us all a reason to kill that will be revealed tomorrow._

 _\- Monokuma (whoever is controlling it) seems to know me on a personal level._

 _\- I spoke to Naegi about my concerns with Maizono._

 _Observations/Details_

 _\- Monokuma seems to be mainly driven by despair. I can't shake the feeling that this is an important clue._

 _\- Naegi didn't take what I had to say about Maizono very well. I'll have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid._

 _\- For whatever reason, Monokuma seems to have a particular interest with me and it did say "I can't wait till we cross paths again" implying that I have met them once. I have no idea who they could be._

* * *

 **Author Notes: On the next part, it will be time for the first motive! I hoped you enjoyed and as always, I'm open to suggestions for improvements. On a somewhat different note, I have a question for you guys. Whose voice do you hear when Monokuma is talking? For me, it's either Pinkshuchan from the Let's Dub Danganronpa or True Review from the Danganronpa Parody.**


	7. Arc 1 Part 4: Change of Fate

**Disclaimer:** **DanganRonpa belongs to Chunsoft, Spike and their respective associates. I do not own any of DanganRonpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Note: Alright, now we are finally getting into the despair-inducing excitement! By the way, I do enjoy going over everyone's reviews. It's a nice little way to communicate with you guys.  
**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer: Man, that could get annoying pretty fast. The worst part is I can totally see Enoshima changing Monokuma's voice to that via voice changer just to screw with the students. I'm glad you like the interactions with Celes, the scene setup was something that I could easily picture them doing together. I just hope that Celes isn't too OOC.**

 **LightSpecter141: The English voice actor eh? I can respect that, he may be no Doraemon but he still does a great job at his role.**

* * *

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

" _ **Ahem, this is a school announcement. Goooood mooorning, everyone! It is now 7AM.! Nighttime is now over! Get ready to greet another beaaauutiful day! "**_

" _Another day has passed with all of us trapped in this school. I should head to the cafeteria to meet with the others and find out what this motive Monokuma had mentioned yesterday is all about."_

When everyone had finally arrived at the cafeteria…

"Sheez, you guys are slow!" Maybe I should make it so you are punished for being late!" Monokuma shouted.

"If you have a point for showing up, interrupting our breakfast, then get to it already!" Kuramoto stated with clear annoyance.

"Alright, alright! Since you guys seem so desperate to see the outside world, I'd thought I'd show you guys a video about it!"

"A video...about the outside world?" Naegi asks.

"That's right! If you guys wish to see for yourselves, please head to the room where you'd watch movies!"

With that, Monokuma had disappeared.

" _A movie from the outside world? Perhaps I could get some answers as to what's going on. On the other hand, if this is supposed to be a motive to incite a murder, this could also just as easily be a trap..."_ Kuramoto pondered.

"Yo, Naegi! Go check it out for us would ya?" Oowada asked with a grin.

"Huh? Why me!?" Naegi asks.

"You're standing closest to the door. So that's that."

"Alright. I'll go with him." Kuramoto states before Naegi could protest.

"O-Ok." Naegi stammered.

"Cool. We're counting on you two!" Oowada said, satisfied.

"Ummm…why did you decide to come with me?" Naegi asks as the two left the cafeteria.

"Two reasons." Kuramoto explains. "First, there's always an advantage to procuring information ahead of others. Second, if perchance there's something dangerous about this thing Monokuma wants to show us, I'd figured I would be the best qualified to deal with it."

"Anyways, if it's a location where we'd watch movies, it's probably the A/V room."

The rest of the walk to the A/V room was silence until they reached to their destination. The room itself remained unchanged except…

"There's DVDs in this box. One for each of us." Kuramoto declared.

"This must be the motive Monokuma was talking about." Naegi assumed.

"..."

"Naegi-kun. Go tell the the others what we found."

Naegi simply nods and leaves the A/V room.

" _Best case scenario, I figure out some important info in advance and piece together some new information. Worst case scenario, the others will have some knowledge in advance as to what we are dealing with and maybe the motive won't be quite as impactful."_ Kuramoto thought as he put in his own DVD.

Once the DVD started playing, Kuramoto was immediately greeted with four people looking back at him in an office area.

The man in his forties that he remembered from his dream was there. In addition, another guy was about 176 cm tall, he was in his mid twenties with spiky black hair and orange eyes, a third guy in his early thirties and was 179 cm tall with short brown hair and brown eyes, lastly, there was a woman in her late twenties who was 175 cm tall with shoulder height orange hair and blue eyes. These were his co-workers that he remembered in the office that he and coworkers would work at . From left to right, Kenjiro Hiroshi, Minoru Takara, Kano Minato, Miya Tonomi.

"Good, we are live." Hiroshi spoke. "You have come a long way from crossing paths with us 5 years ago. You may no longer be apprenticed under us, but we all still see you as family here. I'm so proud of you that you managed to get accepted to Hope's Peak."

"Hell yeah!" Takara shouted. "Go get 'em, Fumio-kun! Show those other Ultimates what you are made of!"

"Hmph." Minato scoffed, but then turned and gave a small smile. "I'd expect you to put just as, if not twice as much effort at Hope's Peak than you do here."

"Good luck, Fumio-kun!" Tonomi waved. "No matter what happens, we'll support you as much as we can!"

No one would be able to tell right away, but Kuramoto's eyes were now beaming. He was happy that his instincts were right and that he was close with his coworkers and that they were rooting for him. However, that happiness didn't last for very long.

"Fumio Kuramoto, the Ultimate Mastermind." Monokuma's voiced echoed. "To have such caring co workers who look after you, just like any family. It truly is a sentimental thought. But one day…"

The scene changed to everyone in the scene disappearing and the office was now completely in pieces with most of the place now burnt and there being clear signs that the place had been the scene of a battlefield.

"The precinct that they worked at was attacked, with his coworkers nowhere to found! What fate could have grasped the ones Kuramoto-kun cares for?"

 **FIND OUT AFTER GRADUATION**

" _W-What is this!? What's going on!? What happened to them!? I-I gotta make sure that they're still okay!"_

" _!"_

" _No, no, no. Calm down. You mustn't allow yourself to panic. This must be what Monokuma wants. By showing us those closest to us in danger, he expects someone will act rashly."_

"Kuramoto-san. Report! What's in those DVDs Naegi-san mentioned?" Ishimaru said as he and the rest of class entered the room.

"..."

Try as he might, everyone could notice the anger and frustration that Kuramoto was displaying.

"Kuramoto-kun, are you okay?" Naegi asks.

"These things should be destroyed." Kuramoto said as he began to pick up the box of DVD.

Everyone in the room was giving Kuramoto strange looks, but before anyone could ask him anything else…

"HEY!HEY!HEY!HEY! You cannot do that! It's against the rules to destroy anything that's connected to a motive!" Monokuma shouted out, appearing out of nowhere.

After those words left his mouth…

 **BEEP!**

Everyone looked to their e-handbooks to find that a new rule had been added.

 **Rule 7: Intentional destruction of any motives or anything connected to a motive is strictly prohibited.**

"To think that you would attempt to destroy to videos that I put so much work into! You got some serious nerve! If anyone tries something like that again, they can expect a beary painful punishment!" Monokuma sinisterly shouted before quickly leaving.

"..."

"Kuramoto-kun, what are in those videos?" Naegi asks again.

"It would easier if you see it for yourselves. A fair warning, the contents are not going to be pleasant."

The others began to hesitantly pick up their own DVDs and began to play them. Expectantly, they too began to display various types of emotion from fear, anger, sadness, even despair.

"W-What the fuck is this!?" Oowada shouted.

"I..I can't do this anyone. Let me out of here!" Fukawa screamed.

The rest of the room were filled with similar shouts or cries.

"I see." Kirigiri finally said in her usual stoic tone. "This is what Monokuma had meant by 'motive'.

"Indeed. It's a prisoner's dilemma. A clever tactic if not an old fashioned one." Celes added.

"What exactly is a prisoner's dilemma?" Yamada asks.

Celes explained in simple terms about the prisoner's dilemma.

"It's a dilemma one faces when multiple people are given a choice to ally or betray those around them. In the given circumstances, the individuals usually have something to gain by betraying those around them. Additionally, the fear of being betraying in turn increasing the likelihood that the other people will decide to betray as well. The important point for us is that now that Monokuma has sown the seeds of doubt into us, paranoia of being betrayed has risen significantly. If this isn't dealt with now, someone will die…"

"Then, wouldn't it be best to talk about what we had seen? It may not clear the air entirely, but it should help calm everyone down." Ikusaba suggested.

"Maizono-san?" Naegi said.

Maizono hadn't said a single word ever since she saw her own video, she was just standing there with her arms crossed and a blank expression. However, as soon as Naegi went to touch her shoulder…

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Maizono immediately bolted out the room.

"Maizono-san, wait!" Naegi said he attempted to go after her.

Unfortunately for Naegi, Kuramoto had grabbed his arm before he could leave.

"Kuramoto-kun, let go! I have to help her!"

"You won't be able to do anything for her while she's in that state." Kuramoto replied. "The best thing you can do for her now is give her some time to process what she saw. Besides, we have a much bigger problem to address. This unchecked tension _will_ lead to a tragedy if not dealt with."

"...He's right."Kirigiri said with a hint of reluctance. "This needs to be done if we want to come out of this unscathed."

"I presume you will lead this topic since you seem insistent on this idea?" Celes said.

"Hmph. I don't see any reason as to why I should share anything with any of you cretins." Togami spat out before leaving.

Kuramoto sighed loudly before speaking up again.

"Does everyone remember the precinct that I mentioned I used to work at yesterday?"

Everyone in the room nodded their heads.

"The video showed a recording of a message my coworkers sent to me before displaying the entire office burnt to a crisp and my coworkers nowhere to be found.

After Kuramoto was willing to reveal the contents of his video, the others started to follow suit. The sense of panic and anxiety that the room held began to die down as the confessions continued. It had seemed that the worst of it had come to pass.

"My guess is that they're all fabrications! There's no way that our captor could get to all of loved ones in such a short period of time!" Ishimaru said after everyone had gone.

"That's right! We've only been gone for a few days. No way the Mastermind would be able to figure out and reach everyone in the videos in that time span." Asahina confirmed.

"There's a few parting words that I wish to say to everyone before we leave." Kuramoto said to everyone in the room.

"I know everyone has their worries and concerns for the ones waiting for them outside of the school, but do not let you desire to leave overtake your reasoning. For the moment you do, all sense of morality and restraint that you have will go out the window. Lastly, while I will not ask you to like or trust everyone. However, I do want you guys to remember that regardless of how things turn out, we are all still in this situation together."

After Kuramoto said his piece, he and the rest of the students dispersed and went their own separate ways.

Naegi eventually did manage to find Maizono in one of the classrooms.

"Maizono-san?"

"..."

Maizono continued to stand there, her previous signs of shock were still there.

"There's..no way out." Maizono whispered.

"Huh?"

THERE'S NO WAY OUT! NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US. WE'RE STUCK HERE UNTIL WE ARE ALL DEAD!"

"Maizono-san, calm down!"

"HOW CAN I POSSIBLY CALM DOWN! WE'RE BEING ASKED TO KILL ONE ANOTHER OR BE LEFT HERE TO ROT FOR THE REST OF OUR DAYS! AND I...I...CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS ANY LONGER!"

"Maizono-san, please calm down! I know how you feel. It gives me the shivers to just think about our situation. But that's all the more reason why we need to stay calm! For us to lose our reasoning and lash out. This is exactly what the Mastermind wants!"

"Those videos have to be fake! Even if Kuramoto-kun's suggestion of us dealing with a national power was true, there's no way that the demise of at least 16 different people all at once would go unnoticed. People would be outraged if there was no investigation going on, especially after our own disappearance!"

It seemed like Naegi's words and reasoning were having an effect on Maizono as she slowly, but surely began to calm down a bit.

"So, let's just stay calm, ok?"

Maizono then latched herself onto Naegi.

"Why..why is this happening?" Maizono asked.

Naegi not entirely certain how to react just simply returned the hug.

"I don't know, but as long as we continue to work together, we'll get out of here."

"How? How can you be so certain of that?"

Before Naegi could answer…

"It's standing up!" Monokuma appeared.

Both Naegi and Maizono yelped, separating from one another.

"Naegi-kun. It's standing up!

"What's standing up!?" Naegi asked, irritated.

"Like you have to ask! Your...flagpole!"

"G-Get out of here!" Naegi replied, now flustered.

"No…I wanna join too!" Monokuma pouted.

" *Sigh* Really? Don't you have better things to do than harass a couple in their private moments?".

Both Maizono and Naegi were now looking at the entrance with blushes on their faces to find Kuramoto was there.

"But it's so much fun! Besides, I just want a hug from them!" Monokuma replied.

"Aren't you a bear?" Kuramoto relatiated. "Who knows as to what kind of grim and diseases you could be carrying?"

Naegi and Maizono had lighten up a bit after that comment. While the two of them were still a little red, it was an improvement from before.

"You really had to go there, didn't you?" Monokuma stated, now depressed. "You know what? Fine! I don't need your hugs!"

With that, Monokuma had vanished.

"You two okay?" Kuramoto asked in a concerned manner.

"I'm alright." Naegi siad.

"...Yeah." Maizono said.

"That's a relief. After hearing the shouting, I'd thought something bad might of happened."

"Maizono-san, if you'd like, I can take you back to your room." Naegi brought up.

"Okay. That's sounds good." Maizono simply replied."

With that confrontation now dealt with. Kuramoto eventually returned to his own room as well. He procured a few books from his library and went back to the cafeteria. The day had so far had passed with little activity. Kuramoto had presumed that most of his classmates were either back at their rooms or were elsewhere with other people, for fear of their own safety. As Kuramoto was taking a sip of coffee that he brew earlier, someone had went up to him.

"Kuramoto-kun."

Kuramoto had looked up to find that Hagakure was present.

"Dude, I was wondering if you had seen my crystal ball around?"

"Can't say that I have, sorry." Kuromoto said, going back to his book.

"Oh. Well, that's ok. Can you please let me know if you come across it." Hagakure said.

"Sure thing."

With that Hagakure left the cafeteria.

Some more time had passed before a few others had arrived.

Now aware of the presence of others, Kuramoto had looked up to find both Asahina and Oogami were now present.

"Hiya, Kuramoto-kun. I was wondering if you would be willing to join us for some exercise." Asahina spoke up.

"Sure, why not? Just give a few moments to go and put these books back."

After Kuramoto had returned his books, they all meet up at the gym. They wasted no time and got to exercising immediately. They had agreed to go with an overall body workout. Much to Asahina's surprise, Kuramoto was actually able to keep up with both her and Oogami fairly well.

"I'm surprised that you are able to keep up." Asahina commented after they got done with another set of laps.

"Many people make the mistake of assuming that I am weak due to my intellect." Kuramoto answered her.

"That's not fair." Asahina pouted. "Athletic _and_ smart. People usually have only one or the other."

"Well, it's a simple matter of being efficient with one's time. Additionally, I am the Ultimate Mastermind. Versatility both in skills and knowledge is the major advantage that i have over other individuals."

"Speaking of skills." Oogami stated. "I would like to put yours to the test."

With that Oogami entered into a combat stance.

"Ah, yes. I do remember saying that if time permits, I'd show you want I know." Kuramoto replied, also entering a combat stance.

And with that they both charged.

After the initial strike they both landed on each other's fists. Oogami attempted to land another punch in, but Kuramoto quickly moved out of way and landed a blow to her right shoulder. Oogami once more made another attempt at a punch, but Kuramoto ducked and followed it up with a sweep kick. Oogami had managed to jump before it could land and the two began to start trading blows.

As the battle continued on, while to the untrained eye, it seemed the two combatants were pretty even. The more observant would notice that Oogami definitely had the strength and durability advantage. Kuramoto, however, was faster and despite being weaker, was a lot more precise with his attacks and was able to continuously strike Oogami in her more vulnerable areas.

Finally, the two managed to strike one another and they were temporarily separated from one another.

"Forgive me, despite my earlier observations, I was not aware you were as talented of a fighter as you were."

"No need to apologize Oogami-san. I typically don't like others knowing of martial abilities."

After those words, the battle continued on. The sounds made by the blows of both combatants were like claps of thunder within the gym. Asahina could only stare in awe as her two classmates clashed.

Around 30 minutes had passed when the two fighters lept back once again. Oogami did have a few bruises here and there, but otherwise still able to fight. Kuramoto, on the other hand, was just barely holding on. Despite his impressive speed and precision in his attacks, he could only withstand so many attacks from Oogami and it was really taking its toll on him.

Oogami charged at him once more and despite Kuramoto successfully dodging a few more attacks, she finally landed a right hook right at Kuramoto solar plexus. This was enough to knock Kuramoto off his feet and cause him to land with his back on the floor. Try as he might, with the wind knocked out of him and the damage from the previous blows, he wasn't able to get back up.

"Kuramoto-kun, are you ok?" Asahina asked, now next to Kuramoto.

"...Yeah…I...just...need...a moment." Kuramoto breathed out.

Oogami then came up to Kuramoto and offered her hand to him. He took it and Oogami pulled him up.

"You did a lot better than I expected you to. With that of kind of fighting ability, I could easily see you going far in the martial arts world, should you decide to go that route." Oogami complimented.

"Thank you, Oogami-san. It's been a long time since I last lost a fight."

"That was crazy! It was like watching a fighting movie in real life!" Asahina exclaimed.

With the fight now concluded. It was now around 8:30 at night.

"I think this will be enough for tonight." Oogami said.

"How about we part ways to get a shower in and meet back at the cafeteria at 9?" Asahina suggested.

"Sounds good." Kuramoto said. "I will see you two then."

Kuramoto had returned to his room to get a quick shower in. After 15 minutes had passed, he stepped out of his room and he ran into Oowada.

"What's up, Bro." Oowada greeted.

"Hey there, Oowada-kun." Kuramoto greeted back. "What are you up to?"

"Nothin'. Just going for a bit of walk. Figured I could use it after what happened earlier today."

"That's understandable. Well, if you'd like, Asahina, Oogami and I are going to meet up in the cafeteria in a few minutes if you'd like to join us."

"Thanks fer the offer, but I am good."

" _Wait a second. Our captor shouldn't be able to see very well from this angle. I got an idea."_

"Very well. Since you are here Oowada-kun, I was wondering you could do me a favor." Kuramoto said as he took out his pocket notebook and began to write in it."

"Oh, sure. What is it."

"I was wondering if you could hold onto this note for me." Kuramoto said giving what he wrote down to Oowada.

* * *

 _Play it cool for now. I wish to conduct an experiment. I want you to destroy this note in exactly an hour from now. Please keep this a secret from the others for the time being. Depending on how this plays out, this could give me very important information._

* * *

Catching onto the situation, Oowada took the note and put it into this pocket.

"Sure thing. I'll keep it safe."

"Thank you, Oowada-kun. I knew I could count on you."

"No problem. Either way, good night, bro."

"Good night, Oowada-kun and take care."

After his brief conversation with Oowada, Kuramoto made his way to the cafeteria where he made tea for Oogami and Asahina after they showed up.

"I still can't believe you can make this good of tea." Asahina praised.

"This is very well done." Oogami agreed.

"Like I said yesterday, it's not that hard. I just picked up some instructions and started learning." Kuramoto said.

"Well...the last time I tried to cook, I ended up creating a fire in the kitchen." Asahina said with a chuckle.

"Unfortunately, I don't really know how to cook either." Oogami solemnly said.

"Well, I could always teach you two how to cook."

"Really?" Asahina said with a glow in her eyes.

"Yeah. I'm far from an expert, but I do know enough simple recipes that even beginners can pick up."

"Do you know any donut recipes?" Asahina asks as she started eating some she picked up in the kitchen.

" _Oh, yes. Of course. Her obsession with donuts. How could I forget about that?"_

"Nothing specific, but I do have a basic idea on how they are made. I could probably manage it if I had a cookbook to go off of. "

"Sweet! I'll hold you to it, then! Next time we hang, you gotta teach me how to make donuts!"

Kuramoto took a sip of his tea and looked at his clock. It now displayed 9:35.

"Well, Nighttime will be here soon. I'm going clean this up and head to bed." Kuramoto said taking the tea set and plates.

When Kuramoto was finished cleaning up the dishes and started to put them back. He noticed that there were two missing kitchen knives.

"Asahina-san, Oogami-san." Kuramoto called out.

"Yes?" Both of them said.

"Do you guys know what happened to the kitchen knives? There are two of them missing."

"Huh?"

Both of them appeared in the kitchen and looked to find that there were indeed two missing kitchen knives.

"What?" Asahina gasped. "I could have sworn there was a full set here."

"There was. I am quite certain that they were here this morning." Kuramoto confirmed.

"This doesn't bode well." Oogami solemnly said.

"I think it would be best if we let the others know first thing in the morning." Kuramoto suggested. "It may cause panic if we tell the others right now and it's unlikely that if they were stolen, the thief will come forward willingly. As long as everyone stays in the dorms, nothing should happen."

The two just simply nodded silently. After that was taken care of, Kuramoto decided to return to his room.

With the door closed and nobody else being around.

"Monokuma! Are you there? I wish to speak with you!"

"You called?" Monokuma spoke up.

"Yes. There's something that's been bothering me for a while that I would like to clear up about the rules."

"Oh, what about them?"

"Rule 6 says the villian that kills one of their classmates will be allowed to graduate. Does that include accomplices?"

"Nope! Only the person responsible for the killing blow is considered the villain."

"My next question is what if there's more than one villain at the same? What happens then?"

"You're certainly the impatient one, aren't you? But, since I guess I can word it without spoiling any surprises, sure, I'll tell you."

"If you guys can figure out that they are multiple villains, they will be determined separately. I went ahead and updated this information for you and your classmates since I'm a nice guy."

 **Rule 6 Updated: The villain who kills one of his classmates will be allowed to "graduate", provided their crime isn't betrayed to the other students. Only the person responsible for landing the killing blow will be considered as the villain.**

 **Rule 8: If it is determined that there are multiple villains, they will be determined separately. If neither villain is found out, both will be able to graduate.**

" _In short, collaboration with a single murder is pointless since any accomplices would perish with them. However, with the wording of the new rule, it's a different story for multiple murders. Best to keep this mind. "_

"Alright. I just have one last question for you. I presume you know about the note I asked Oowada to keep safe. Does he still have it?"

"Upupupu. Are you suurre you want to know?"

"Of course."

"The note is in pieces right now! Burning away at the incinerator!"

Kuramoto just simply stared at him with a look that pretty much says 'You really expect me to believe that?'

"Nah. I'm just kidding! The note is still with him. Nothing has happened to it yet. Anyways, I got something I need to do so, see ya!"

With that, Monokuma went away.

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

" _ **Ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 10PM. Nighttime is now in effect. The cafeteria will soon be locked and entry at that point will be strictly prohibited. Upupupupupupu. Goood nnnniiiiiigghhtt."**_

" _So, Monokuma thinks that the note is intact. Perfect."_

* * *

 **Location: 1st Floor Hope's Peak Academy, Naegi's Room**

 **Time: 2155**

Ever since Naegi had escorted Maizono back to her room, he had been asleep. He had now just woken up.

*DING DONG*

" _Huh? Someone's at the door. But it's almost nighttime. Who would be here at this hour?"_

Naegi opened the door to find that Maizono was waiting for him on the other side.

"Maizono-san? What are you doing here?"

"Sorry for barging in like this. I couldn't sleep. I was wondering if you'd be willing to come back to my room to talk for a little bit." Maizono requested.

Naegi was about to open his mouth to say 'yes' but he felt that something wasn't right about Maizono. It was almost like an aura of darkness was surrounding her. Naegi was reminded of Kuramoto words at that moment.

 **Flashback**

"I do not know her very well, but she is a part of the entertainment business and I _do_ know that for those who stay at the top for a long period of time, very shady actions are quite common. It's a possibility that she could just using you."

"I'm not saying that she is, but it's a possibility. And in a situation like this, a possibility like that is way too dangerous to just brush off."

 **End Flashback**

" _Why would she ask me to go with her alone if there wasn't something amiss. No! That can't be it. There's no way that she would..."_

"Naegi-kun. Please…" Maizono begged.

Whatever doubts or resistance Naegi had started to waver at the sight of the girl in front of him. However, Kuramoto's earlier words and the dark aura surrounding Maizono was causing him to hesitate.

Before he had time to process anything else. Maizono had revealed the knife that she had hidden behind her back and proceeds to stab Naegi's right arm with it.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Instinctively, Naegi grabs his injured arm with his uninjured arm. As Maizono prepares another strike, Naegi manages to move out of the way and make his way into the dorm hall. As this is happening, the nighttime announcement ends up playing in the background.

"Maizono-san, why are you doing this?" Naegi asks.

Maizono doesn't respond. Her eyes were now as blank as a canvas and her face no longer showed any emotion. She instead proceeded to run at Naegi with the knife in hand with a very clear intent to kill.

Naegi turns and begins to run as well towards the back of the dorms. The blood loss from the stab wound was starting to get to him and he accidentally hit one of the doors as he made his towards the back. With this wobbly movements due to the bloss loss and Naegi only using one arm to move, it was only a matter of time before Maizono caught up to him and….

Stabbed Naegi in the upper back.

Naegi was quick to collapse on the floor after that. The shock of him getting stabbed forced him into silence as he laid there with the blood loss increasing.

Maizono herself was just standing here, staring like she was in a trance. Upon seeing her victim bleed out, she began to snap out of it. The depth of her choice and the results were starting to come to her and fast. But before she could react or do anything…

*BAM!*

Maizono felt a sharp hit to the back of her head and she was rendered unconscious.

Naegi could only hear the noise of something falling. Whoever that had been was approaching him. Naegi noticed the shoes and just before he lost consciousness due to the blood loss, the person kneeled down and looked at him. Naegi could just make out who it was before he lost consciousness.

" _Ku..ra..mot..o...kun."_

 **Flashback**

" _So, Monokuma thinks that the note is intact. Perfect."_

" _With that finished, I think it's time that I get some shuteye for tonight, tomorrow is going to be a rough day."_

*SLAM*

" _What was that!?"_

Kuramoto rushed to the door and when he peeked through it, he saw Maizono running with a knife in hand.

" _Maizono? Oh no, I've got to stop her!"_

 **End Flashback**

" _Damn it! This isn't good. He's losing a lot of blood. I got to move quickly!"_

Kuramoto wasted no time in bolting back to his room to open up his First Aid kit and get everything else ready. Afterwards, he propped opened his bedroom door and quickly brought the now injured Naegi inside.

Setting him down on his bed, he hastily got work. Kuramoto began by getting on disposable gloves that came with his kit and after removing everything that was obscuring his injuries, proceeded to inspect Naegi's wounds. The wound on his right arm wasn't bad, but the knife in Naegi's back was deep. About 5cm deep. Having no choice, Kuramoto decided to setup a blood transfusion in case things went south.

Fortunately, the e-handbooks had the IDs of the person's displayed so it was easy to find out Naegi's. With everything set, Kuramoto took out the knife and swiftly began to clean the wound. With that done he used the an Adhesive Gauze Pad that came with the kit to cover up his wound and proceeded to wrap up his back with some additional bandages to to prevent any more blood loss. After checking his pulse to make sure that Naegi was still alive, he cleaned up and bandaged his right arm as well. As a finishing touch, he injected Naegi with a restorative chemical. It was a recent pharmaceutical invention that accelerated the body's natural healing properties. It wasn't the cleanest job, but based on the fact that Naegi was still breathing and the blood loss had come to a halt, it would suffice.

Kuramoto simply sighed in relief that Naegi would survive this ordeal. He dared not to imagine what would have happened had he not bumped into his door. With the immediate problem of treating Naegi's injuries now dealt with, Kuramoto proceeded to head back outside.

Maizono was still here unconscious from the blow to the back of her head. Kuramoto picked her up as well as decided to take her to his bathroom. After placing her there, he grabbed some of his spare shirts that he had and use them as improvised restraints. With Maizono hands and feet now firmly tied together, for insurance, Kuramoto had injected her with an anesthetic to make sure she would stay unconscious. Lastly, he closed the bathroom door behind him and used his desk chair to use as a wedge against the door. It's was an old fashioned trick, but it was one that worked.

With Naegi's safety assured and Maizono now detained. Kuramoto took a seat on the floor by his desk and fell asleep.

* * *

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

" _ **Ahem, this is a school announcement. Goooood mooorning, everyone! It is now 7AM.! Nighttime is now over! Get ready to greet another beaaauutiful day! "**_

Kuramoto awoke to the announcement. Upon realizing that he wasn't in bed, he went to his bed and double checked on Naegi. Fortunately, he still had a pulse and he was still breathing. Additionally, the bathroom door was still wedged exactly the way that he left it, so Maizono should still be inside.

" _I'll just wait a bit for now, the early birds should be up soon and they should notice the trail of blood that leads to my room. That will be when I'll reveal Maizono's crime."_

About 10 minutes later…

*DING DONG* *DING DONG*

With the doorbell now being run Kuramoto went to open the door.

On the other side, Ishimaru, Fujisaki, Asahina and Oogami were on the other side.

"We have a serious situation here!" Ishimaru quickly shouted.

"Why is the blood trail we found going towards your room!" Asahina shouted.

"I was wondering when you guys would show up." Kuramoto smirked.

The four of them gave him confused looks.

"Naegi-kun was attacked last night. Fortunately, I was able to get him here and treat his injuries." Kuramoto said signaling the others to come in and see for themselves.

"Naegi-kun!" Asahina said, going immediately to Naegi's side.

"Calm down, Asahina-san. Naegi-kun's been through a lot and needs all the strength he can get to get back on his feet."

"What happened to him?" Oogami asked Kuramoto.

"Multiple stab wounds. Fortunately, I had a first aid kit on hand and was be able to treat his injures."

"Where did you find this first aid kit? I don't recall seeing one anywhere when searching the school." Ishimaru asked.

"It was in my room the whole time. I kept it a secret since I figured I would only get one chance to use it. After everyone knows that I have it and the knowledge to use it, it would become much more likely that any future killers will take someone's life in a manner that I wouldn't be able to rescue them." Kuramoto explained.

Satisfied with his answer and relieved that Naegi was still alive, Ishimaru and co. decided to drop the subject on Naegi and the first aid kit.

"What about the assailant? Did you find out who did this?" Oogami asked, changing the subject.

"Why do you think my bathroom door is wedged?" Kuramoto smiled. "I managed to catch her right in the act."

Kuramoto unbarred his door and opened it and revealed Maizono was there, still bound and unconscious.

The others were quick to notice the blood splatters that were on her as a result of her attack. They were quite shocked to find that Maizono, of all people, was the one who attacked Naegi.

Kuramoto unbound her legs and hoisted her up stating one simple command.

"Get up!"

Maizono slowly woke up and immediately noticed that she was bound and that Oogami, Asahina and Ishimaru were looking at her.

"As the blood splatters give away, she is the one that attacked Naegi-kun last night. In fact, if Naegi-kun hadn't bumped into my door, you guys would have seen a corpse instead of just a trail of blood."

No one could form a response. The four guests that were present were still trying to process that a murder attempt took place and they were staring right at the person who tried to kill one of their classmates.

Maizono just stood there, clearly out of it. It was as though she wasn't even responding to external stimuli.

"No...I didn't….I just….I…...wanted….." Maizono whispered to herself.

"Anyways, as much of an issue this is, we actually have a bigger problem to deal with."

"Bigger?" Everyone asked.

"Yes. The weapon that was used to attack Naegi-kun was one of the missing kitchen knives."

Oogami and Asahina eyes widen at the implication.

"Kitchen knives were missing?" Ishimaru asked.

"Yes. There were two of them missing. One, as I said earlier was the weapon used to attack Naegi-kun."

"Which means it's possible the other could have also been used for murder." Oogami finished.

The rest of the students went pale at the implications.

"Exactly." Kuramoto stated "We need to search the school and make sure no one else has been attacked. Fujisaki-san, we need to get the others and let them know what's happened."

"Ok." Fujisaki replied.

"Oogami-san, Ishimaru, Asahina-san, can you three please search the area for any sign of anyone else getting hurt? Fujisaki-san and I will meet up with you three once we get the others."

"Aye, leave it us." Oogami said.

"We'll let you know if we find anything!" Ishimaru exclaimed.

The two groups went their own separate ways.

Kuramoto decided to head to Ikusaba's room first. Both in case there were issues in detaining Maizono and if there were any issues that arose from Oogami's group.

It didn't take long for Ikusaba to answer the door.

"Kuramoto-kun, Fujisaki-san? Why do you have Maizono detained?" Ikusaba asked, confused.

"Ikusaba-chan, we got a serious situation going on-."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

 ***DING DONG DING DONG!***

" **A body has been discovered. Everyone, please gather at the laundry room!"**

"Come on!" Kuramoto stated.

Ikusaba and Fujisaki followed Kuramoto and they made there way to the laundry.

They stopped in their tracks in what they found.

With a knife lodged into the chest, with a veritable pool of blood. In addition, to there being blood on his neck with glass fragments being stuck on it. The group had stumbled into the corpse that was once known as Yasuhiro Hagakure.

 **Author Notes: DUN! DUN! DUN! With that, we have the first casualty! *Phew* this part took quite a bit longer than what I had anticipated. I hoped you enjoyed and as always, I'm open to suggestions for improvements. Another Author out!**


	8. Arc 1 Part 5: Investigations I

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Note: Wow, its actually pretty surprising that out of all the events shown in the last chapter pointed out, Hagakure's death was the one thing that was highlighted the most more than anything else. It will be intriguing to see the reaction once the first execution comes into play.** ** **Anyways, enjoy the new part.****

 **Review Replies:**

 **LazyWriterDude: Interesting little theory you have there. While I won't confirm or deny anything (that's what the story's for), it's definitely a good idea to keep that thinking cap of yours on. You may be surprised at the things I may be hinting at to those who pay attention.**

* * *

The corpse of Hagakure was found inside the laundry room.

A knife was lodged into his chest. In addition, it looked his neck was broken.

"Hagakure-kun.." Fujisaki said, tears rolling down her face.

Ikusaba simply just stood there in silence.

It didn't take long for the others to come running to the laundry room.

"W-What the hell is this!?" Oowada shouted.

"EEEGAAAH!" Yamada screamed.

Similar screams, cries of anguish, fear and confusion had left the mouths of the rest of the people that arrived. In fact, the only people that seemed to be collected was Togami, Celes, Kirigiri, Ikusaba and Kuramoto.

"Good, now that everyone's arrived. Allow me to explain what's going on." Monokuma said, appearing out of nowhere.

"You...you did this! You killed Hagakure!" Ishimaru accused.

Monokuma simply tilted his head. "Huh? Now why would I do that? I mean, do you guys have any idea the amount of trouble I went through to get this Academy Life set up for you guys? What would be the point of doing all that if I was just going to kill you myself? Besides, if I wanted to kill you, I'd do in front of everyone. To make sure all of you get a front row seat!"

"But that's enough of that for now. How about we move out of this cramped area and I'll explain what happens to you guys from here on out." Monokuma said, using his arms to signal everyone to step back.

With everyone just outside the laundry room…

"Whew, that's better! I really liked laundry rooms, they get pretty stuffy you know." Monokuma rambled.

"Just get to the point as to why you called us here!" Togami demanded.

"As I was going to say before being so rudely interrupted. Yasuhiro Hagakure was killed by one of you guys!"

Most of the students froze at those words.

"The guilty amongst should know that perfectly well."

Everyone started to glance at one another trying to gauge who was the one responsible but a question broke everyone from their accusatory gazes.

"Where's Naegi-kun?" Ikusaba asked.

Those not aware of what happened to him looked around to see that he indeed wasn't here. Plus, Monokuma hadn't said anything about his whereabouts either.

"Don't tell he's..." Yamada started.

"He still alive, if that's what everyone is wondering." Kuramoto announced, grabbing everyone's attention.

"He is? Then, why isn't he here?" Kuwata asked.

"He's in no condition to move." Kuramoto explained.

"Sadly, he speaks the truth." Monokuma said with his head down. "So, good old Naegi-kun will be exempt from the upcoming activities. After all, I'd hate to have him die a meaningless death."

"What are you talking about? What happened to him!?" Asahina shouted.

"Upupupu! Why don't you ask the person Kuramoto is holding captive?"

Everyone's eyes turned to the now bound Maizono.

"Maizono-san?" Asahina said.

"Hmph. So it turns out that the one Naegi-san trusted the most, stabbed him in the back." Togami smirked.

Nearly everyone was now displaying emotions of fear, anger and even amusement. Maizono didn't bother to respond to any of them. She continued to avoid to look at, much less, interact with any of them.

But out of all the students. One in particular was angry.

"Y-You tried to kill Naegi-kun?" Ikusaba quietly stated.

Uneasiness was starting to fill the room as everyone's heads turned to Ikusaba. Her fists were shaking, there was a dangerous glint now present in her eyes. Quickly seeing where this was going...

"Ikusaba-chan, stand down!" Kuramoto stated. "I know how you feel, but our priority to figure out what happened to Hagakure-san. We will have to deal with Maizono-san's crime at another time."

She hated. She hated that Maizono nearly killed Naegi. She hated that she was still standing. She hated it more that the matter behind Naegi's status had to be pushed aside, but she understood the truth behind Kuramoto's words and so she decided to drop the issue.

"Now then," Kuramoto said, turning to Monokuma. "I presume you are going to finally explain to us the full details of the catch I asked about on the first day?" Kuramoto stated.

"You betcha! In fact, this is where the real fun begins!"

"The real fun?" Kuramoto said, confused.

"Yep! As mentioned earlier, if you kill someone , the catch is that you cannot be caught. So in order to meet those conditions, once a body has been discovered. We will shortly hold a Class Trial!"

" _Class Trial?"_ Everyone thought.

"A few hours after a body has been discovered, the murderous villain will have to contend with the remaining students, the heroes!" Monokuma began to explain.

"During the Class Trial, everyone will debate on who the villain amongst you is. At the end of a trial, a vote will be held to determine who the villain. If the majority of you vote correctly, then the order disrupting villain will be punished and the rest of you will continue to live out your lives at the this academy. However, if the majority of you select the wrong person, then the live will escape, free from his crimes and you heroes will be punished instead! That's the gist of the Class Trial!"

"Umm..you repeating the word "punished. What do you mean by that?" Yamada asked.

"I mean an execution, of course!"

"E-execution!" Yamada repeated.

"What do you mean..execution?" Fujisaki cried out.

"By execution, I mean execution! Ex-e-cution!" Monokuma replied with his sinister voice. "Bzzt-Bzzt in the electing chair! Billow-Billow with the poison gas! Ripped to pieces by a hurricane!"

"In others, we get it right, only the killer will be killed. But if we wrong, then all of us will be executed?" Ishimaru reiterated.

"A smart chimpanzee you are! That expression of innocence was a touch, by the way." Monokuma confirmed.

"Just like in the outside, you guys will be the ones who will decide who is guilty. However, you cannot make that decision lightly, after all, your lives are on the line."

"But anyways, I got two last things for you. First, is that I went ahead and add what I just said to the rules."

The all too familiar beep played in everyone handbooks validating what Monokuma said.

"The second is a gift to help out with your investigation. It's the Monokuma File! Since most of you are amateurs at this, I went ahead and gathered detailed information about the victim. While it won't contain anything that is damning to the killer for fairness sake, it should help you guys out and save some valuable time investigating. There's also a new app in your e-handbooks called "Evidence". You can review the Monokuma file there and add anything you guys find to this new app."

"Whelp, that's all I've got for you guys! I'll see you at the Class Trial!"

With that, Monokuma had left, leaving everyone in the room's now dark ambience.

Despite the growing tension and confusion, like a light that shone through the darkness. Kuramoto managed to snap everyone out of it.

"I understanding how everyone is feeling, but now is not the time to be feeling down nor is it the time to stand here eyeing at one another with suspicion. In the same manner that blindly trusting others is dangerous, the same is true for blind skepticism."

"Like I mentioned yesterday, regardless of what happens, we are still in this situation together. As such, we need to work as a team, otherwise we will not survive this."

"He's right. We need to work together in order to figure out who the killer is." Kirigiri agreed.

"That's right! You said earlier that you are a detective, right? This should be a cinch to solve!" Asahina remembered.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Kuramoto interjected. "There are two problems here. First, is the limitation of resources. Most notably, the amount of tools I have and the imposed time limit. Secondly, there's the possibility that I could be the culprit."

"W-What are you saying." Fujisaki cried.

"A-Are you telling us that y-you did it?" Fukawa accused.

"I am simply saying that it's a possibility. I trust I don't have to explain the ramifications of relying on me if I happen to be the culprit." Kuramoto retorted.

Nothing needed to be said. Nearly everyone understood what Kuramoto meant by why it was a problem to rely on him.

"Ultimately, only you guys can decide who to trust and who not do." Kuramoto finally stated.

"Regardless, we are using up valuable time, we need to get investigating."

"First things first." Kirigiri stated. "We need to secure the crime scene. We need at least two volunteers for that."

"I'll do it." Oowada spoke up. "I'm not good at figurin' stuff out anyway. I'll leave it to you guys to figure out who killed that kid."

"Alright, so who else wants to do guard duty?" Kuramoto said.

"Huh?" Oowada grunted, confused.

"It's nothing personal, Oowada-kun, but if you happen to be the killer, you can easily destroy evidence if you are left on your own." Kuramoto replied.

"Then, I'll guard the crime scene as well. That eliminates the issue." Oogami volunteered.

"Very well, then. Let's get going!" Kuramoto stated.

" _Let's take a look at what the Monokuma File as to say."_

* * *

 **Monokuma File #1**

 **The victim is Yasuhiro Hagakure. The body was discovered in the Laundry Room at 7:20 A.M. The time of death was approximately 8:40 P.M. The victim neck has been broken, in addition, the victim has a stab wound to the chest.**

* * *

" _Interesting, we have a time of death, time of discovery, but not a specific cause of death. It may be worth noting."_

Kuramoto wasted no time and moved to the laundry room to take at look at Hagakure's corpse as well as to see if anything was left behind by the culprit. Kirigiri was there as well already inspecting the corpse with not even the slightest hint of nervousness or hesitation.

"Did you find anything?" Kuramoto asked.

"Well, the Monokuma file is accurate. The neck is snapped and the knife wound in this chest is present as well. Knife wound notwithstanding, his clothes are rather clean as well. No signs of a struggle, either. Lastly, there some shards of glass that are here close by to his body." Kirigiri answered, not taking her eyes off Hagakure's body.

" _Based on what I can see and what I can remember from my time as a detective, it looks like Kirigiri-san's input seems to check out. It's quite surprising she was able to piece all that together so quickly. Hmmm…..if there's no signs of a struggle, then it's likely that the knife wound was caused after he was killed."_ **EVIDENCE ADDED**

Kuramoto decided to let Kirigiri continue her investigation.

" _These shards on the floor. I wonder what there supposed to be…Wait a second."_

 **Flashback**

"Kuramoto-kun."

Kuramoto had looked up to find that Hagakure was present.

"Dude, I was wondering if you had seen my crystal ball around?"

"Can't say that I have ." Kuromoto said, going back to his book.

"Oh. Well, let me know if you come across it." Hagakure said before leaving.

 **End Flashback**

"Kirigiri-san, I think I might know what these shards of glass are."

"You do?"

"Hagakure-san briefly spoke to me yesterday afternoon, asking if I had seen his crystal ball. This is probably it."

"I see...that would explain the circular shape some of these shards have."

" _Still, I am fairly curious as to what this means. Did Hagakure-san manage to find the crystal ball? If so, is this related to the murder in any fashion?"_ **EVIDENCE ADDED**

" _Hmmm….there are a few possibilities that come to mind, but still too little information to go off of. I should talk to some of the others, see if they happen to know anything else. I should also investigate Hagakure's room, he may have left something behind that could lead to the killer."_

"Before you go, did you manage to figure out anything useful for it?

"It?"

"You know, the thing we discussed a few days ago?"

" _Oh! She must be referring to the note she gave me."_

"Yeah, I did figure out a few things, but nothing immensely useful to us. Once we time to do so, I'll let you in on the details."

"Very well, once I'm done here, I'll come find you and we'll investigate Hagakure's room."

A few minutes later…

"Kuramoto-kun, I have been gathering alibis surrounding Hagakure's time of death. I was wondering about yours." Ishimaru said.

"Ah, after around 6pm yesterday, I was with Asahina-San and Oogami-San up until 8:30pm. We dispersed to get showers in and met back up in the cafeteria at 9pm and stayed together until around 9:40pm. You can talk to either of those two and they will tell you the same thing."

"I see...it's not the most foolproof alibi, but thank you for your honesty." **EVIDENCE ADDED**

"There's one other thing I wanted to ask you about. You mentioned earlier that two kitchen knives were missing before we found Hagakure-san."

"Yes, I discovered that fact around 9:35pm the previous night. I called out to my companions who were with me and they didn't know the knives' whereabouts either. Deciding that bringing it up then and there would cause a panic, we were planning on letting the others know first thing in the morning."

"I see, I thought it was suspicious at first, but it looks you three found out the knives were missing after Hagakure-san was dead." **EVIDENCE ADDED**

"Thank you for your time."

"There you are, Kuramoto-kun."

Kuramoto turned around to find that Ikusaba was there.

"I know it may not be the best time to ask, but I want to see if Naegi-kun is going to be okay."

" _This particular crime is pretty straightforward in the sense of its simplicity. The main problem is pinpointing a culprit. Oh well, it would probably be a good idea to check on Naegi-kun and let him know what's happened. Kirigiri-san did say she'd come find me when she's done."_

"Ok, I'll take you to him, just try to be careful. He still needs to recover."

"Thank you, Kuramoto-kun."

Both Ikusaba and Kuramoto went back to Kuramoto's room, he decided to leave the door open in case someone else needed him..

"Naegi-kun, are you awake?"

"Kuramoto-kun, is that you?" Naegi responded.

"Yes, I also brought Ikusaba-chan with me."

Ikusaba kneeled next to him.

"Are you ok, Naegi-kun?" she asked.

"I think so, my back and arm still hurt, but I feel better than last night."

"Would it be okay if I look at you wounds." Ikusaba asked.

Naegi simply replied with a nod. Ikusaba proceeded to check his injuries. A stab wound on his right arm and back, it looked like he had a blood transfusion as well. It looked like the treatment was fairly clean work. It was clear to her that Kuramoto knew what he was doing.

"Thank goodness, after I heard that someone had tried to hurt you, I was extremely worried."

Ikusaba turned around to face Kuramoto.

"Thank you, Kuramoto-kun."

"No need to thank me. In all honestly, it was nothing short of luck that I was able to find him. Had he not slammed into my door, I would have been none the wiser to his plight and Maizono-san would have successfully killed him."

"I'm so sorry, Kuramoto-kun." Naegi stated, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"It's because I didn't listen to you that I ended up like this. I just wanted to believe that she wasn't a monster like you were suggesting, but…"

"There's no need to worry about that, Naegi-kun. To be honest, I was honestly hoping I was wrong with my assumption as well." Kuramoto replied.

That response took both Naegi and Ikusaba by surprise.

"What?" They both said.

"Just because I stated that it was possible for Maizono-san to be a manipulative person doesn't mean that I wanted it to be true. Much like yourself, I too also wish to believe that most people are decent. However, at the same time, I'm not willing to allow myself to avert my gaze from the truth. It ultimately comes full circle to what I said earlier, it's admirable to believe in others, but you have to discern the difference between believing in others and blindly believing in them."

Naegi was in deep thought after Kuramoto had stated his piece. He didn't expect that Kuramoto wanted to believe she wasn't as she was suggesting. That would explain his choice of words when speaking about her.

 **Flashback**

"I do not know her very well, but she is a part of the entertainment business and I _do_ know that for those who stay at the top for a long period of time, very shady actions are quite common. It's a possibility that she could just using you."

"I'm not saying that she is, but it's a possibility. And in a situation like this, a possibility like that is way too dangerous to just brush off."

 **End Flashback**

Kuramoto continued to surprise Naegi at every turn. Just as he wrongly assumed that Kuramoto wasn't very approachable, now Naegi was incorrect in assuming that he was harboring ill will towards Maizono.

"The important thing is that you are still alive. Additionally, thanks to the materials I had in the first aid kit that I used, as long as you don't exert yourself too much, you should be on your feet by tomorrow."

"That's good. It is true on what Monokuma said earlier that Hagakure-kun is…" Naegi started.

"Sadly, yes. He is no longer with us. " Kuramoto replied somenly.

Tears were starting to flow from Naegi's eyes as Kuramoto confirmed what Monokuma had told him.

"Monokuma came by earlier and explained what happened as well as the Class Trial. " Naegi stated. "That's...just horrible."

"Kuramoto-kun." A voice said from behind.

"Kuramoto turned around to find that Kirigiri was behind him.

"You ready to investigate Hagakure's room?" she said.

"Yeah, just give a minute." Kuramoto replied.

"Once we're done with the class trial, I'll be back to check on you, alright?"

"Ok, just be careful and please...find out the truth about Hagakure-kun's death." Naegi responded.

"You can count on me." Kuramoto said. "Let's go Ikusaba-chan."

With that said, all three individuals left the room and were now next to Hagakure's room.

Kirigiri proceeded to use Hagakure's e-handbook to open his room and everyone went inside.

It had a structure similar to Kuramoto, only that it didn't contain the near unending amount of books and shelves that he had. Instead, it had a lot of materials related to fortune telling scattered all over the room. From tarot cards, to palmistry diagrams, astrology charts and books, it even had some Buddhist prayer beads.

The biggest thing that grabbed the attention of the room's visitors was the note that was on the bed.

* * *

 _I tried to find you earlier, so I decided to leave this note for you instead. I found the crystal ball that you were looking for. Please meet me at the laundry room at 8:30 pm._

* * *

"It's just as I thought." Kirigiri stated. "Hagakure-san was lead to the laundry room where he was killed."

"I was thinking the same thing, but wasn't entirely certain until now." Kuramoto stated.

"The real question is how sent this note. It doesn't have a name on it." Ikusaba chimed in. **EVIDENCE ADDED**

" _This handwriting definitely looks like a girl's handwriting. Even by normal standards, it's very neat. I think I have an idea on how to figure out who the culprit is."_

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

" _ **OK, I have given you guys enough time. So, it's time for the Class Trial! Please make your way to the Red Door on the first floor of the school zone. I'll see you soon!"**_

"Damn, it looks like we're out of time." Ikusaba stated.

"We'll have to figure out the rest at the class trial." Kuramoto said.

"Let's not waste anymore time, then." Kirigiri stated, pocketing the note.

The three of them left the room and made their way to the Red Door as commanded. Once inside, they spotted the rest of the students there. While a few spoke amongst themselves, the room's dark ambience was not missed by anyone. Deciding that there was nothing that needed to be said, everyone eventually got on the elevator and made their descent to the Trial Grounds.

* * *

 **Author Notes: Next time on Danganronpa: Adaptation to Despair Academy, the first class trial will begin. I hoped you enjoyed and as always, I'm open to suggestions for improvements. Another Author out!**


	9. Arc 1 Part 6: The 1st Class Trial

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoftand their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Note: Alright, it's time for the first Class Trial. I really don't have much else to say other than I will have some notes towards the end of this part, so if you wish to know a few things in regards to my thought process about this trial, how I tried to handle it and other details, please stick around for those. Enjoy the new part!**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Darkfenixx7: Iksuaba x Naegi is honestly amongst one of my personal favorite non canon ships (Naegi x Fukawa is another that I like). No need to worry too much about your English. I can understand you pretty clearly.**

 **LazyWriterDude: I'm glad you are liking Fumio Kuramoto. I figured having a character that is a realist fire and foremost, but at the same time, has a more optimistic approach towards most people. I'd say it makes a nice change from the majority of the cast in Danganronpa who are pragmatic that are cynical towards most.**

* * *

 **Evidence Collected**

 **Monokuma File**

 **Kirigiri's autopsy**

 **Glass Shards on the Floor**

 **Kuramoto, Asahina and Oogami's Accounts**

 **Missing Kitchen Knives**

 **Note to Hagakure**

* * *

"Yahoo! You guys are finally here!" Monokuma greeted as everyone got off the elevator and made their way into the Trial Grounds.

"What do you guys think? Does this courtroom look like you guys were expecting it to? Our budget allows us to have Hollywood-level realism here! But that's enough of that, hurry up and find the seat with your names on it!"

Everyone made their way to their assigned seats within the circular stands in the middle of the room. There were seventeen seats in total. Kuramoto was at the seat that had the to the empty one to the right and where Hagakure would have been on the left.

Once everyone reached their seats, the atmosphere immediately grew heavy. No doubt due to everyone being so close to one another and the anxiety that everyone was feeling given the circumstances.

"Let's start with a review of the class trial rules. Your votes will ultimately determine the outcome of the trial. Accuse the villain and only the villain will be punished. But if you accuse the wrong person and everyone else gets punished, leaving your deceiver to graduate free and clear! With that out of the way, let's get this Class Trial underway!" Monokuma said gleefully.

"Before we begin, I would to clear something up. What exactly is the purpose of that?" Kirigiri asks, pointing to a black cone in the center of the room.

"I'm glad you asked! This is the projector that you guys will use for the Class Trial!" Monokuma answered. "There should be an indentation on the top of everyone's stands. Please put your e-handbook face up inside!"

Everyone did as instructed and once that happened. The projector turned on a now a light blue sphere was now visible to everyone. In addition, a new app called Transcript was added to the e-handbooks and a notification that the Evidence app was updated.

"Now then, all things said from here on out will be recorded in the Transcript app. You can review it at any time in this Class Trial. Furthermore, if you all go the Evidence Tab, there should now be a button called Submit. Go on, highlight a piece of evidence and submit it."

Kuramoto decided to test this out with the Monokuma File. Upon hitting the submit button, the sphere in the center of the room changed to show the Monokuma File and Kuramoto's name as the one who submitted it.

"That's right! If you wish to submit any of the evidence you collected for all to see, that's all you have to do! You can even cross reference anything from either the transcript and or the Evidence apps should you wish to do so. Ah, Just so you guys know, both the Evidence and Transcript apps are exclusively for the Class Trials and will be removed once this Trial is finished."

"Now, for reals this time, let's get this Class Trial underway!"

" _This is it. You got this Fumio. Just remain calm and stay focused. You can't afford to screw up here."_ Kuramoto thought to himself, trying to keep his nerves in check.

"Why don't we start by going over what we know beyond a shadow of a doubt for those who have doubts or questions." Kirigiri suggested.

Seeing as no else spoke to challenge her request, Kirigiri began.

"In accordance to the Monokuma File, Yasuhiro Hagakure was killed yesterday at 8:40 pm. He was found at the Laundry Room at 7:20pm this morning. His neck was broken and he also had a knife stabbed into his chest."

"So, any questions concerning what we have so far?" Kirigiri finished.

"Well, it's not exactly a question. But I do have a request I would to ask of everyone here." Kuramoto said, taking out this notebook.

"I would to ask for everyone to write their name down on this piece of paper." Kuramoto said, taking out a sheet of paper that contained his name.

"What are you getting at?" Togami stated, looking at Kuramoto with suspicion.

"You will find out soon enough. All I ask is for your cooperation for now." Kuramoto said, passing the sheet to Fujisaki.

"Are there any other questions?" Kirigiri asks.

"Well," Asahina started. "What exactly killed Hagakure-kun? It says in the Monokuma file that he had both his neck broken and a knife wound, but it doesn't specify what exactly killed him."

"His neck was most likely snapped first." Kuramoto answered, submitting Kirigiri's autopsy. "Considering that outside of the stab wound, there wasn't any traces of blood and no other signs of a struggle, it's a safe bet to presume that Hagakure-san was already dead by the time the knife was inserted."

"That's if this autopsy can be trusted." Togami staed, adjusting his glasses.

"It can." Kuramoto swiftly replied, annoyed. "Both Kirigiri-chan and I reached the same conclusion.

"T-that may be true, b-but that doesn't help if y-you two are working together!" Fukawa accused.

Kuramoto simply let out a sigh.

"The chances of that being the case is pretty much at zero, due to the adjustments to the rules."

"You are referring to update to Rule 6 , yes?" Celes said. "The rule that says only the person who lands the killing blow will be the villain."

"That's correct." Kuramoto answered.

"In order words, two can work together on a single murder, but only one person will gain anything by doing so." Kirigiri summarized.

"So then, the chances of there bein' an accomplice, is pretty low." Oowada chimed in.

"Since we are talking about people working together, there's something that has been bothering me." Ikusaba spoke up. "Is it possible that this murder and the attempt on Naegi-kun's life be related? After all, they both happened at the same night and a kitchen knife was used in both murder attempts."

" _A fair point she raises, only Maizono-san and the culprit would know."_

Everyone turned their heads to Maizono, who hadn't said a word ever since Hagakure was found.

"Well, Maizono-san. Let's hear it. Did you collaborate with anyone or was your murder attempt something that you did on your own?" Togami said coldly.

Maizono refused to look up at anyone. She still stood there as immobile as she has been ever since she arrived in the courtroom. But she reply with what could only be considered a whisper.

"I...did that on my own….I didn't involve...anyone else."

"That make sense." Kuramoto said, taking control of the conversation before it could be steered into a nasty direction. "If the two murders were connected, there would be more evidence that either the attacks were coordinated or there being a connection between the two victims."

"If that's the case, when why did the culprit use the knife?" Fujisaki asked. "If they just wanted to kill Hagakure-san, then wouldn't breaking their neck had been enough?"

" _Hmm…why would the culprit use the knife? Maybe…."_

"Perhaps the culprit wanted to blame whoever took the knife from the kitchen." Kuramoto suggested.

"Blame the culprit?"Fujisaki said, not understanding.

"While Oogami-san, Asahina-san and I did discover that two kitchen knives were missing, that's doesn't necessarily mean that they were both taken at the same time. In fact, since we know that the murders were two separate incidents, it's quite unlikely. It's a possibility that the culprit saw one the knives were missing and used it so that suspicion would fall upon whoever took the first knife." Kuramoto explained as the piece of paper he passed onto Fujisaki came back to him.

He inspected the contents and the names that were written.

" _I see…so she's the killer. I was thinking that it might of been the case, but it's still hard to believe."_

"While it's only a theory, it does make sense." Kirigiri spoke up. "If the other murder attempt hadn't happened, it's likely we wouldn't have explored the possibility that multiple people took the kitchen knives. In that case, suspicion would have immediately fallen upon the first person we found who could have taken them."

"So, who coulda taken them? Oowada asked.

"Um...Kuramoto-kun?" Asahina said.

"Yes, Asahina-san?"

"I remember that Sakura-chan and I found you in the cafeteria when we found you. How long were you there?"

"I was there for a majority of the day ever since the motives were released." Kuramoto answered unwaveringly, ignoring the noises and expressions of surprise.

"I see..so you could have taken the knife and you purposefully steered this case into the wrong direction. A most cunning foe you are, Master Fumio Kuramoto!" Yamada said.

"He has been running the show most of the trial. He could easily be doing so because he's the one that killed Hagakure-kun!" Kuwata piped in.

Looks of fear and suspicion were now aimed at Kuramoto's direction.

"While I won't deny the possibility that I could have taken the knife, but there are two issues with that idea." Kuramoto retorted.

"Issues?" Oogami said.

"Yes. First, why I would have brought up the theory that the knife was used to pass the blame onto someone else if I was the one that took it?"

Seeing as no one had an answer to that question, Kuramoto went on.

"Second, while was in the cafeteria during most of the day. I did leave at around six last night when Oogami-san and Asahina-san asked me to exercise with them."

"E-exercise!? What...what kind of exercise?" Yamada said, now drooling.

"K-Keep your damn perverted thoughts to yourself, you pig!" Fukawa shouted.

"Anyways!" Kuramoto said, raising his voice over the banter. "We were together in the gym for about two and half hours. Within that period, anyone could have come in and taken the knife unnoticed."

"So, Kuramoto is not the only suspect when it comes to the kitchen knife." Togami chimed in.

"Kuramoto-san? Did anyone else come into the cafeteria while you were?" Ishimaru asked.

"The only person that showed up was the victim." Kuramoto answered. "He came to ask me whether or not I had seen this crystal ball anywhere."

"Wait, did you say crystal ball? That must be what it was!" Ishimaru said as he submitted the glass shards. "Hagakure-san was asking around about that thing yesterday. His crystal ball must be what he dropped at the scene of the crime!"

"His crystal ball? Does that mean he found it?" Fujisaki asked.

"Hold on. Is this even relevant to the case at all?" Celes said in a dismissive tone. "So what if he found his crystal ball? If it can't be connected to the murder, I see no reason as to why this should even be discussed at all."

"Actually, Celes-san. This does matter. Kirigiri-chan, Ikusaba-chan and I found this at Hagakure-san's room." Kuramoto countered, submitting the note to Hagakure.

* * *

 _I tried to find you earlier, so I decided to leave this note for you instead. I found the crystal ball that you were looking for. Please meet me at the laundry room at 8:30 pm._

* * *

"I see." Celes smiled. "Hagakure-san was given this note and he followed its instructions not knowing that it would cost him his life.

"T-that idiot was always going about how this w-was a joke." Fukawa stated in a condescending tone. "H-He probably never suspected a thing."

"So all we to do is find out who wrote this note and we have our killer, right?" Ikusaba said.

"Hold up!" Togami stated, looking at Kuramoto after viewing his e-handbook. "According to the transcript, you said earlier that you and your little exercise group were together for about two and half hours."

"Yes. And what of it?" Kuramoto said in a calm manner.

"I think it goes without saying that you three are the most suspicious out of everyone else." Togami smirked.

"Ishimaru-san, if I recall, you were collecting alibi's from everyone just before the trial. Is what Togami said true?" Kuramoto said.

"Unfortunately," Ishimaru stuttered out. "You three are the only ones that have a time and location that wasn't alone in the dorms within the time frame of the murder."

" _It looks like I don't really have a choice now. I'm going to just have to push through it, not matter how painful it might be."_

The room's ambience grew dark once more as everyone was now eying accusingly towards Kuramoto, Asahina and Oogami.

"There's no way that we could be the culprit! Right, Sakura-chan?" Asahina said defensively, looking towards Oogami.

Oogami said nothing, she had her eyes closed and was now looking away from Asahina.

"S-Sakura-chan?" Asahina said, with worry now in her voice.

"I'm sorry Asahina-san, but I cannot agree with your sentiment." Kuramoto said solemnly.

"W-What you mean?" Asahina said, now starting to panic.

"..."

"Because Sakura Oogami is the one who killed Yasuhiro Hagakure." Kuramoto replied, trying to remain as deadpanned as possible.

If the room's ambience wasn't dark before, it was now as everyone's attention now turned towards Oogami. She still hadn't said anything and was still looking away from Asahina.

"What are saying?! There's no way that she would do such a thing!" Asahina denied.

"Keep your stupid plebeian morals and assumptions to yourself!" Togami yelled. "It's clear as day that she was the one responsible for the crime. The note that Kuramoto revealed is evidence enough, unless you are going to tell us that _you_ are the one who wrote that note."

Asahina was reduced into a stuttering mess as she tried to defend herself and avoid the real possibility that Oogami could be the killer.

"Disregarding the scion's blatant lack of empathy, he is correct in saying that Oogami-san is the culprit." Kuramoto said, trying to convince Asahina. "There is evidence of-"

"I won't acknowledge your accusations!"

"How dare you accuse Sakura-chan! First, you don't even try to defend us from these absurd claims and now you're accusing her of murder! Just what the hell kind of friend are you!?" Asahina screamed.

"You're saying that Sakura-chan wrote that note."

"And killed Hagakure-san!?"

"That's not possible!"

"You know that better than anyone, Kuramoto-kun!"

"We were all together until just before the murder!"

"There's no way that she could have planted the note, then!"

"Oogami-san didn't have to plant the note just before the murder. She could have planted it hours in advance." Kuramoto refuted.

"How many times to I have to tell you!?"

"Sakura-chan and I were together the entire time!"

"Not that it matters."

"Because you don't have any proof that she wrote that note!"

"That's enough, Asahina-san!" Kuramoto shouted.

Asahina was stunned into silence by Kuramoto uncharacteristic shout.

"There is evidence that Oogami-san wrote the note." Kuramoto said, taking out the sheet of paper from earlier.

"If we cross examine the handwriting of the names to the handwriting within the note, it will tell us who wrote the note and consequently, who killed Hagakure-san."

Asahina was still standing there, desperately trying to find a means of countering the increasing evidence pointing to her best friend being a killer.

"I-I wouldn't matter! So what if she wrote the note, it doesn't mean that Sakura-chan killed him!" Asahina denied.

"That's enough, Asahina-san." Oogami finally spoke up.

Asahina lost her voice as Oogami spoke.

"It's as Kuramoto-kun says. I was the one that killed Hagakure-san. That handwriting belongs to me."

"S-Sakura-chan..." Asahina said as tears began to fill her eyes.

Most of the people in the room where surprised by Oogami's sudden confession.

"So you admit, then? Are you telling us the truth?" Kirigiri asked.

Oogami just simply nodded.

The room was now filled with silence, apart from the now crying Asahina. Whether it was due to surprise or disbelief depends on who you look at.

"Upupupupupu! It looks you guys have come to a decision. Now then, it's voting time! On the screen of your e-handbooks, there should be photos of all of your classmates. Please select whoever you think the blackened is and submit it! Oh, and make sure you guys vote for someone. It would be a shame to have to punish you for something so trivial." Monokuma gleefully announced.

Despite the reluctance of the majority of the students, due to knowing the weight of the consequences of refusing and the fate that awaited, everyone eventually cast their votes.

"What will your verdict be? Who will you decide is the villain? Will you get it right or will it be oh so wrong!"

As soon as those words left Monokuma's mouth, the photos began to disappear from everyone's e-handbooks one by one until only one was left, Sakura Oogami's.

"Yahoo! You guys got it right! The villain responsible for killing Yasuhiro Hagakure was Sakura Oogami!" Monokuma happily shouted.

"By the way, the vote was not unanimous." Monokuma turned towards Asahina. "Asahina-chan, what were you thinking voting for yourself? You are lucky that the rest of the students were smart enough to vote correctly, saving you from your error in judgement."

Asahina ignored the monochrome bear, she was still in disbelief that the person she trusted the most committed murder.

"Sakura-chan….why?"

Oogami didn't say anything, she continued to look away from Asahina.

"C'mon, say something at least. You owe Asahina-san that much at least!" Oowada shouted.

" _I don't think it's not a matter of her not wanting to speak up. It's almost like she is forced to remain silent."_ Kuramoto thought.

"What did you do to Oogami-san!?" Kuramoto directed his attention to the sadistic bear.

"Do to Oogami-san?" Monokuma tilted his head. "What you mean?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about. It's abundantly clear that Oogami-san isn't responding because she doesn't want to speak. You did something to her that's preventing her from talking. If I had to guess, it involves the motive video. Now, spill it!" Kuramoto accused.

"Alright, you twisted my arm!" Monokuma said, making a pose looking like his arm was being twisted. "But rather than explain it to you guys, allow me to show you!"

Monokuma then pulled out a TV out of nowhere and the feed began to play.

The footage was shocking for everyone to see. The background looked like it was just outside of a dojo. But what grabbed everyone's attention was the people in the video. They all looked like your typical martial artists. All of them were tied up, blindfolded and gagged as they were desperately trying to get out of their bindings. If that wasn't enough, closeby the hostages, there was what looked like to be explosives. Shortly after that unnerving scene, the psychotic bear began to commentate in the feed.

"Sakura Oogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist. A person who is considered the strongest person in the world. Here stands the Dojo that she and her family have been guarding for over three centuries. But wait, something terrible has happened to the people of her beloved Dojo! They now wait for Oogami-chan to commit the murder that will spare their fates and the fate of the Dojo. If the murder doesn't happen within 24 hours, the Dojo and everyone within it will be blown to smithereens. In case Oogami-chan was wondering, spilling the beans before she successfully gets away with the murder will result in the explosives detonating prematurely."

Everyone just stood there as the in silence as the clip ends and the revelation of Oogami's motive was brought to light.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAH! To think that through all of that strength she had, the Ultimate Martial Artist couldn't even protect those closest to her! It was pretty easy to manipulate her to my whims after that." Monokuma laughed out manically.

That was the last straw. She had enough of Monokuma and his taunts towards Oogami and she tried to storm her way towards Monokuma, seething in anger.

Keyword tried.

Kirigiri grabbed hold of her arm and stopped her.

"Stop." Kirigiri said firmly. "If you wish to have the Mastermind pay for actions, you should stop."

Asahina tried to get out Kirigiri's grip for a moment before finally giving up, tears rolling down her face.

"Wow! That was a close one! Maybe you should have been the Ultimate Lucky Student instead of Naegi-kun considering you are surrounded by people who are willing to correct your mistakes frequently. Of course, if you had laid your hands on me just then, a thrilling punishment would have awaited you!" Monokuma mocked.

"Well, Monokuma let's hear it."

Monokuma turned his attention to Kuramoto who was eyes were now glistening with anger.

"First you withhold the consequences of killing a classmate and now you show that the motives you have are to target specific students! Do you have any _more_ underhanded tactics that you would like to share with the rest of the class?"

"Underhanded? Me? No way! I don't have to resort to cheap tactics in order to bring you guys to despair!" Monokuma replied, taking offensive. "Besides, it sounds like you are trying to blame me for Oogami's crime. She did willingly chose to end a classmates life, it's not like I forced her to do anything."

"Oh, really!?" Kuramoto replied with a venomously sarcastic tone. "I wasn't under the impression that an ultimatum was considered a choice. Holding those close to you at gunpoint and blaming the person being threatened for their choices, that's some screwed up reasoning if you ask me!"

"That's right! That's fucked up! No matter what way you try to look at it!" Oowada agreed.

The rest of the classmates started stating their given approval of Kuramoto's words.

"So much for my attempt at bringing despair this way…" Monokuma said with his head now down.

"Oh well! I guess I've milked this cow out for as much as I could, so let's end this preamble and get to the punishment!" Monokuma said quickly recovering

"Punishment!?" Asahina said.

"That's right! Since you guys found out who the villain was, it's time for Sakura Oogami to receive her punishment!"

"What? No! I won't let you!" Asahina shouted running to Oogami throwing her arms out in a defensive posture.

"It's okay, Asahina-san." Oogami said, putting her hand on Asahina's shoulder.

"S-Sakura-chan." Asahina said before she hugged Oogami.

"It is my wish for you to be strong. Can you do that?" Oogami said, returning the hug.

Asahina simply nodded.

Oogami turned to face Kuramoto.

"Kuramoto-kun."

"Yes?"

"You have a heart of gold. Even if you don't believe it yourself. I want to look after Asahina-san and the rest of the students." Oogami said, given him a small smile.

"I understand." Kuramoto replied with determination in his eyes. "I will do everything within reason to look after everyone here."

"Now then, I have prepared a very special punishment for Sakura Oogami, the Super High School Level Martial Artist!"

Sakura let go of Asahina and turned to face Monokuma.

"Let's give it everything we got! It's Punishment Time!"

* * *

 **SAKURA OOGAMI HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY! COMMENCING THE PUNISHMENT!**

Sakura was standing still amongst the student when she was all of a sudden grabbed by 10 steel collars. Two for each of her limbs and two for her torso. Despite being dragged through the floor, Oogami didn't struggle in the slightest. Oogami soon found herself within a dark room. As she got up and attempted to see amongst the darkness, spotlights blared on and it was revealed that she was standing in the middle of a martial arts arena, complete with stands filled with Monokumas. Amidst the darkness, Monokumas in martial arts attire were getting on the arena and started to make their way towards Oogami.

 **Strongest Human's Deathmatch**

Given her skill in martial arts, she was able to easily defeat the Monokumas. Despite going against Monokumas that were armed to the teeth with weapons of all types, she was still able to deal with them effortlessly. After taking out what could only be guessed at to be around one thousand of them, one showed up alone with some type of controller that had two buttons. As Oogami attempted to defeat this one, just like the others, Monokuma had pressed the button and four spears shot out from the floor, piercing each of Oogami's limbs. Despite the immense amount of pain she was now in and the heavy blood loss, she still tried to no avail to remove the spears that now inside her. The Monokuma, now chuckling did a backflip that took him away from the arena as he pressed the second button. Due to the darkness concealing it, there was a large steel block that was formerly above Oogami that was now descending, heading straight for her. Unable to move due the spears, Oogami could only watch in horror as the steel block crushed her into a bloody paste, swiftly ending the life of the Ultimate Martial Artist.

* * *

 **Author Notes: And with that, the first Class Trial is completed! Not gonna lie, I kinda feel like a monster writing this down. Anyways, onto my aforementioned notes. My apologies if the trial was a bit short. I decided to go with a fairly short trial both because this is the first fanfic I am writing and due to the fact that Oogami likely wouldn't committed a complicated crime. As for the choice of killer, honestly, it's mainly due the fact that I haven't really seen any fics that explore the notion that Oogami meeting the condition of starting up the Killing Game. Additionally, this will force some early development out of Asahina that is independent of Oogami and make her a much more vulnerable target for future murders.**

 **The next part will be the last part of School Life's Shattered Bonds. It will close out a few issues still lingering amongst the students and will set things up for the second chapter of this series. I hoped you enjoyed and as always, I'm open to suggestions for improvements. Another Author out!**


	10. Arc 1 Part 7: The Aftermath

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoftand their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Note: Alright, it's time for the finale of the first Chapter. Outside of the perusal response that I have I don't really have much else to say other than to stick around at the end for additional comments. Enjoy the new part.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer: Glad you liked it. I just hope the trial and execution was done with the intended impact.**

* * *

Despair. That's was the emotion that had completely overtaken the room as everyone had witnessed Oogami's execution. Not a single person was unscathed by the despair that had swallowed the room.

"EXTREMEEE! I'm drowning in adrenaline!" Monokuma boisterously announced.

Everyone had different reactions to the brutal execution. There were folks like Asahina, Fujisaki and Fukawa who were in tears, openly voicing their despair. Others like Kirigiri, Celes and Ikusaba who despite trying their best to maintain their stoic appearances, were either pale or showing other signs of distress.

As for Kuramoto, he was shaking. While he was also trying his best to stay strong, he just couldn't.

" _Dammit, I know it was the right choice. I know what would have been happened if we didn't vote for her. But, it doesn't make me feel any better that someone had died right in front of me and there was nothing I could do about it. I feel so powerless."_

"Kuramoto-kun, are you okay?"

Kuramoto was so consumed in his guilt that the sudden contact on his shoulder and voice had taken him completely by surprise. He turned around and found that it was Ikusaba who had called to him with a look of concern of her face.

"Yeah, I'm just a bit shaken up is all." Kuramoto replied, still trying to maintain his composure.

"That's understandable. I just want to let you know I'm here if you need to talk about it."

"Ok and thanks Ikusaba-chan." Kuramoto said back, giving her a small smile.

"Sheez! You guys are still standing there!?" Monokuma said. "The trial is over, the execution is done! What, are you waiting for a permission slip to leave or something ? Oh, but before you guys go, I took care of the crime scene and the bloody hallway, so you guys don't need to worry about that body or blood rotting away. It would be quite a health problem if nothing was done about that!"

With that last bit, Monokuma left the scene. His words were enough to get everyone out of their trance.

"We should get going." Kirigiri suggested. "We've dealt with a lot today and would be a good idea to call it day."

"Hold up." Kuramoto interjected. "We still have one last matter to take care of." His gaze turned to Maizono. "Have you guys forgotten? There were two crimes that occurred last night, not just one. Judgement still needs to occur for the other criminal."

"I agree!" Ishimaru declared. "Order cannot be maintained unless she is brought to justice!"

"But what can we do?" Fujisaki asked. "It's not like we can kill her even if we wanted to and we can't exactly put chains on her."

"I'll let you guys decide for yourselves. I'm gonna head back upstairs." Kuramoto said as he began to walk towards the elevator.

"What are you doing?" Kirigiri asks. "Didn't you just said that Maizono-san needed to be judged for her crime?"

"I did." Kuramoto answered. "However, it's also important that she is judged fairly. Since I was the one that caught in the midst of her act, I'm not in a position where I can judge her fairly."

"Surely, you must have some ideas on how to deal with her!" Ishimaru said.

"I do. However, they are very unpleasant ideas. They don't involve killing, of course. But the punishments in question are, shall we say, of a _permanent_ nature. Are you sure you guys still want to know what my ideas are?" Kuramoto responded.

All but a few grew pale at the implications of Kuramoto suggestion. However, Celes, Fukawa and Ikusaba did raise their hands, presumably, want to hear his ideas. Seeing the lack of support, he simply replied.

"That's what I thought. I'll be in the dining hall if you guys need me."

With that, the elevator had closed and was heading back up to the school.

The remaining students their heads to Maizono.

"I see no real reason to discuss this, the culprit has been revealed. I'd say we just punish her and be done with it." Celes said in a monotone manner.

"Wow, That's pretty damn cold." Oowada replied.

"She has a point." Togami chimed in. "Let's make sure the dangerous thing is dealt with and let's leave this place."

Quite a few people flinched at the cold hearted remarks Celes and Togami had tossed. It was as though they didn't care in the slightest about what happened to the idol.

"That's a bit harsh…" Kuwata pointed out.

"Then, what _you_ do suggest? Togami barked, at his wits end.

"W-Well," Kuwata stumbled being put on the spot. "We never figured out why she did what she did. It wouldn't fair to do anything to her until we figure that out."

The others were surprised by his answer. He was right, the reasoning behind Maizono's decision hadn't been revealed by either Monokuma or Kuramoto. Even Maizono was slightly surprised by his answer, she assumed no one would care enough to want to know about her reasoning.

"He's right! She never revealed the contents of her video. By discussing that, it would help alleviate any misunderstanding of her actions and clear the air with her!" Ishimaru jumped in, taking advantage of the opening presented.

Most seemed to agree with both Ishimaru's and Kuwata's sentiments. Those who disagreed understood that they were outnumbered and decided to stay quiet for the time being.

Maizono was still as quiet as an abandoned street. Her head was still bowed, hair covered her eyes, making it harder for the others to read her. She finally decided to speak up.

"Why does that matter? It's not like it will change anything." she said in tone that was just as, if not even colder than Celes and Togami.

"Maizono-chan...?" Asahina said, shocked by the coldness in her voice.

No one had expected to act in such a cold manner. Heck, most weren't even sure as to how to react, especially since her motive was still up the air and Maizono didn't seem like she would be willing to share that information. But then, someone put forth an unexpected guess.

"Maybe it has something to do with her band?" Kuwata suggested.

"!" Maizono had immediately flinched at his guess. Nearly everyone had caught that and took that Kuwata was right.

"H-How did you know that!?" Maizono asked, schoked.

"Well...based on what I heard from you when speaking to Naegi-kun and what I've heard from you when we have talked, you seemed to talk about your band mates with high reverence. So, I assumed you hold them at a level similar to family. I...kinda understand that feeling." Kuwata explained.

"So, in order to protect them, that's why tried to kill Naegi-kun." Kirigiri concluded.

It hit very close to home. Mentioning her band was enough to break her mask. The fear that everything she spent years working for was in vain. The sheer guilt of the pain she had put Naegi through and the added stress of her classmates' eyes of judgement, of top of everything that just happened. It was all too much for Maizono to bear. The emotions she tried to hold back finally broke through like a waterfall breaking through a dam as the stream of tears began to fall.

"I...just wanted to make sure they were still alive. I...wanted to to be sure...that everything that we did...wasn't for nothing." Maizono muttered.

The others students could easily see that see was really torn up from her actions, a lot more than most were expecting.

"I still don't see why we are wasting our time with this." Togami said, shifting his glasses. "She even said it herself, it won't change anything. She still betrayed us."

"That may be true." Kirigiri said. "It still wouldn't be fair to make a call as to what to do with her without hearing her end of the story. Otherwise, we wouldn't be any better than Monokuma."

"Hmph." Togami scoffed. "No matter, I'd say we isolate her and keep her bound in her room until further notice."

"S-She should have b-been e-executed along with that O-Ogre." Fukawa stuttered out.

"Fuwaka-san! That's uncalled for!" Asahina shouted angrily.

"W-What!? I-I'm just t-thinking about my own s-survival. Besides, i-it's not like you can p-prove that she's just m-making this all up." Fukawa retorted.

Fukawa did have a point and unfortunately, that's all it took for the others to begin to doubt the authenticity of her words and emotions. She was an idol after all and consequently was really good at acting, it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that could be falsifying her emotions to manipulate the others.

"What the hell is the is matter with you guys!? Have you all completely forgotten about the motives Monokuma gave us!?" Kuwata said, his words cutting straight through the darkened atmosphere. "Those she cared about, heck, those that all of us cared about were shown to be in jeopardy! Are seriously going to tell me that none of you were at least considering killing someone if that meant that their lives would be secured!?"

Kuwata's words, just like Fuwaka's also hit home. None of them could say truthfully with conviction the thought hadn't at least crossed their minds at some point.

Maizono just stared in awe as this stranger she had never met until a few days ago was so readily willing to defend her despite what she had done.

"Any of us could have possibly snapped due to the pressure and desire to leave. Heck, Kuramoto-kun being one of the smartest ones here said that himself. Any one us could have received a video similar to Oogami-san's and been forced to kill lest we watch someone we care about die."

Once more, Kuwata words had hit a strong point. No one could really form much of a counterattack since there was a decent amount of truth behind his words.

"I think we should have at least two people keep constant watch on her, if necessary, ensure that her door remains locked at night, isolation won't do her any good."

"Kuwata-san is right." Ikusaba agreed, to everyone's surprise. "There's a reason why solitary confinement is regarded as a method of torture. I, personally am angry for Maizono-san did to Naegi-kun and I don't know if I really could let it go, but when I think about it, Naegi-kun would probably want to give her a second chance. She won't any have realistic opportunities to redeem herself if we cut her off from everyone. I agree with Kuwata-san's decision."

"I also agree!" Ishimaru spoke up. "It would be good if she would still attend the morning meetings anyway to ensure she stays up to date with the transpiring events. We can at least see to it that see cannot do any harm by having multiple people keep watch of her and if she's uncooperative, then we'll take more stringent measures!"

"I don't really have any issues with the suggestion." Yamada brought up. "But how are we supposed to ensure that Master Sayaka Maizono stays within her room at night?"

"When Kuramoto-san brought myself and the others to his room to reveal Maizono-san presence, he had a chair wedged with the door handle. Sometime like that could possibly work." Fujisaki recalled.

"Yeah, that's right. This will work out just fine!" Asahina jumped in.

"It would appear that we have a majority in favor of Kuwata-san's suggestion." Kirigiri stated. "The question now is who will watch over Maizono-san?"

"I'll do it. I did suggest the idea, after all." Kuwata volunteered.

"I'll watch over as well. I don't think I can trust anyone else with this for the time being." Asahina said.

"Ok, so Kuwata-san and Asahina-san will guard her for the time being. We'll discuss the details and any adjustments to this arrangement tomorrow, presuming no one has any objections to this." Kirigiri summarized.

With dead silence filling the room, signaling that no one had a rebuttal. Kirigiri began to make her way towards the elevator with the rest of her classmates following suite.

The elevator ride was filled with silence barring a single, barely audible whisper from Maizono.

"Thank you guys...Thank you guys so much."

Upon exiting the elevator, Yamada, Fukawa, Celes and Togami decided to head back to their rooms. The rest went to cafeteria, remembering that Kuramoto said that he would be there if anyone needed him.

Upon entering the cafeteria, they found both Kuramoto and Naegi present. In addition, it looked like a makeshift shrine was made for Oogami and Hagakure using some cloth, a few books, candles and a nametag for both students.

"I saw that what Monokuma said earlier about the bodies being removed was true." Kuramoto said as they had entered.

"I figured that this was the least I could do for them." Kuramoto then began to light the candles.

Everyone began to gather around the shrine and everyone started to release the emotions of grief that they had been forced to push aside for survival's sake. Asahina, understandably, was the worst off when compared to everyone else. Oowada was doing his best to try and comfort her. The others were also in tears or were otherwise grieving in their own way.

Kuramoto was behind most of the other students, the hearing of the voices of grief, brought back the emotions he felt just after Oogami died. He was still trying to keep himself together, but it was become increasingly harder to do so.

Just when he felt like he was going to lose total control of his emotions, a hand had touched his.

"You don't have to worry about holding yourself back." Kuramoto turned to see who that was notice that it was Ikusaba who had, once more, come to his aid.

"I can tell you've been trying hard to put forth a strong front. Please, let me in. I know something has been eating at you ever since Oogami died; I want to be able to help you."

Kuramoto wasn't entirely sure if it was simply the offer for her to listen to his troubles or that he understood that she would probably understand the pain of loss better than anyone here. It didn't matter to him, he decided to tell her about his grief.

"I know that there was nothing I could have done about what happened and I know I made the right choice by condemning Oogami-san. Even so, I feel absolutely horrible that someone had died right in front of me and there was nothing that I could have done to prevent it."

"I know exactly how you feel. A feeling of powerlessness as those around you die. It's a feeling that I'm all to familiar with. Just remember that you may be considered as a leader to us, you are not alone in this."

Kuramoto felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders when Ikusaba said her piece.

"Thank you, Ikusaba-chan."

The two of them continued to stay together for a little while. At this point, Celes, Fukawa and Yamada had entered the cafeteria, they individually decided it would be best to give those in mourning some space and stood by silently. While he didn't mind at all, Kuramoto eventually decided he should point it out.

"Ikusaba-chan, you do realize you're still holding on to my hand, right?"

The thought must not have occurred to her because as soon as he pointed that out, she let go and was now blushing.

"Sorry, I realize that.."

"It's ok, I don't mind."

"As much as I would like to stay together, I think it would it be best if I checked on the others."

* * *

"You ok, Asahina-san?"

Oowada was looking over Asahina as she was staring solemnly at Oogami's name tag.

"No, I'm not." Asahina simply said. "I know I said I would be strong, but...I don't know what to do."

"..."

"I've never been all that good at comforting others. But, I reckon I got an idea of what yer going through." Oowada said. "I felt the same way when my brother died."

"Huh? Your brother died?" Asahina said, surprised. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Much like Oogami-san did, he left me with one last promise right before he had died."

"I guess you say it motivated me to keep going, to keep that promise."

"..."

"Sakura-chan wouldn't want me to stay depressed forever."

"Thank you, Oowada-kun. I think I now know what I need to do."

"Yeah, no problem." Oowada said, scratching the back of his head."

* * *

"Kuwata-kun, why did you do that?"

Maizono was with Kuwata per the agreement and she decided to confront him about the trial's aftermath.

"What do you mean, Maizono-san?"

"Why did you defend me that?"

"They were about to make an already bad situation worse. I couldn't just stand around and let that happen, especially not after you looked when the truth was revealed."

"Besides, it's like I said at the trial. I somewhat understand where you are coming from. I may not be idol like you, but I do have a cousin that I've looked after like a little sister. I was never close to any other family members and I really didn't have any real friends at school, so she's all I had for years."

This revelation shocked Maizono. He didn't seem like the type that would have so little as far as relationships. She expected him to be more a typical jock type of person.

"You seemed surprised. Most of the people that ever bothered to get close to me is only due to my skills in baseball. It didn't matter if it was friends or even trying to find a girlfriend, they all cared about my baseball talent and never who I really was. That's why I decided to go to this school to begin with. To get away from that, to finally pursue something that I wanted to, you know."

If Kuwata wasn't surprising Maizono before, he was now. His story reminded her a lot of her own. Not having many people to connect to, others only seeing your talent and not who you are. It resonated with her so much, he truly understood her a lot more than she gave him credit for.

"I...never thought I would find someone outside of my band mates that would understand so well."

Maizono pulled Kuwata into a hug.

"Thank you so much, Kuwata-kun!"

"Uh..yeah, it's no problem at all." Kuwata not being really sure what to do, just decided to return the hug. It felt nice for the two of them, to have someone else outside of their usual circle of people.

"There's one last thing that I want to do before I turn for tonight." Maizono said.

She then her head towards Naegi, who was currently talking with Kirigiri.

* * *

"Are you sure, Naegi-kun?" Kirigiri asked.

"Yes, I'm certain of it. I will take Kuramoto's advice and be more careful, but at the same time, I can't let a single lapse of judgement of someone being put into a corner completely alter my perspective of someone."

"..."

"You really are a lot stronger of a person than what I gave you credit for." Kirigiri said, giving Naegi a small smile.

"Umm...Naegi-kun?"

Naegi turned to face the direction from where the voice came from to find Maizono was there.

"I just wanted to say…" Maizono started.

Naegi decided to hold his hand out to signal here to stop.

"There is something that I need to say first." Naegi stated.

"You attempting to kill me did hurt, in more ways than one. In truth, I honestly don't know if I really will be able to just forget about and be able to interact with you as though it never happened."

Maizono lowered her head. She was afraid that it would turn out like this. She didn't expect that Naegi would forgive her and she would have to live with that.

"However, I won't allow your actions that were done out of desperation, done because of Monokuma putting us through this horrible situation, to overshadow everything that I have learned about you. I still want to believe that you are better than what you have shown, so I have decided to give you another chance." Naegi finished.

Maizono's eyes had widen as Naegi finished his piece. Maizono could honestly not believe just how fortunate she was. She honestly thought that after the murder attempt, even if she didn't up dying, there's no way anyone would have given her the time of day. After all, in her career field, she learned that the world very rarely ever gives you second chances. So, it shouldn't a surprise to anyone that she hugged him as well, showering him with phrases of gratitude and apologies. As soon as she let him, go someone else decided to step into the conversation.

"How curious. It seems that things played out better than what I expected."

All four of them turned to find Kuramoto was now among them.

"Are you here to belittle her or cause her harm?" Kuwata said, stepping up to him. "If so, you can forget about it. I'll-"

"Calm down, Kuwata-san." Kuramoto interjected. "I let you guys decide for yourselves what would happen to Maizono-san and I'll shall respect that decision. Since it seems most of you guys deem her worth a second, I shall as well."

"So that's the reason why you said those words just before leaving the trial." Kirigiri recalled.

 **Flashback**

"I'll let you guys decide for yourselves. I'm gonna head back upstairs." Kuramoto said as he began to walk towards the elevator.

"What are you doing?" Kirigiri asks. "Didn't you just said that Maizono-san needed to be judged for her crime?"

"I did." Kuramoto answered. "However, it's also important that she is judged fairly. Since I was the one that caught in the midst of her act, I'm not in a position where I can judge her fairly."

"I do. However, they are very unpleasant ideas. They don't involve killing, of course. But the punishments in question are, shall we say, of a _permanent_ nature. Are you sure you guys still want to know what my ideas are?" Kuramoto responded.

 **End Flashback**

"Bullseye." Kuramoto declared. "I wanted to see how you guys would handle this without my influence. It would also give me some insight was to what kind of group of people I would be dealing with as a whole instead of as separate pieces."

"There is one thing that I do want to make clear." Kuramoto turned to face Maizono with a stern tone in his voice. "I did say I would give you a second and I mean it. However, do not mistake my stayed hand for a complacent one. Should you get out hand once more, I will simply take matters into my own hands and personally make sure you will not harm anyone ever again. Are we clear?"

Maizono simply nodded with a bit of fear now in her eyes.

"Good. Glad we have an understanding." Kuramoto now shifted back to his standard demeanor and tone.

"So, what do you folks plan on doing? Are you going to stick around for a little while longer or-" Kuramoto started.

"What is the meaning of this nonsense!?"

The voice was loud to grab everyone's attention. Togami had arrived at the scene.

"W-We were having a funeral, so send of those who died." Fujisaki answered.

"Are you serious? Who would waste their time on mourning that idiot and murderess?"

"You...you got some serious nerve showing up here saying that!" Asahina was now near Togami, fury burning in her eyes.

"Hmph. To think that you are still trying to defend her. Ignoring the obvious reality that she tried to kill all of us. She got what she deserved!" Togami replied.

Asahina had her hand raised, ready to slap Togami when…

"Leave."

Despite the voice not being all that loud, it carried such a heavy amount of emotion that everyone turned their heads towards the direction of the voice.

It was Kuramoto and the dark demeanor and aura that he had when Togami attempted to order him around was back and it was much worse than last time.

To the others, it felt like the entire room's atmosphere had darken greatly. It was oppressive. Like one would expect from a crowd that just witnessed a massacre. Everyone froze in their tracks as Kuramoto slowly made his way towards Togami.

"If you are not going to respect the deceased nor respect those who are mourning. Then I demand that you leave!" Kuramoto shouted out.

If Kuramoto's classmates were afraid of him last time, they were downright terrified of him now. Even Ikusaba was getting worried about what Kuramoto might do. Despite his fears, Togami stood his ground and was better composed than last time.

"Like I am going to listen to some commoner that-"

 ***CRACK!***

Before Togami could finish that sentence, a cracking sound was made that reverberated throughout the gym.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Togami was now on the ground, shouting in pain. His front that he had up until a few seconds ago was now completely gone. It was replaced by the cries and tears of a person consumed by agony. Kuramoto had just kicked Togami's kneecap with enough strength that it forced the kneecap back into his leg and caused a few bones to break.

Kuramoto then picked up Togami from the ground from the collar of his shirt and stared directly at him.

"Allow me to make myself clear. You _will_ respect the deceased and you _will_ respect human emotions while you are here. Because if you do not, none of the pain that anyone has gone through so far will be able to compare to what I'll do to you." Kuramoto said in a very threatening tone.

Togami was now truly afraid of Kuramoto. Kuramoto looked like he was ready to kill him. His eyes were filled with complete and unending hatred. He could only stare, frozen in fear, as he heard his threat addressed to him.

"Now, leave!" Kuramoto commanded dropping Togami.

Togami was now doing his best to pull himself back up and quickly leave the cafeteria. It took a few minutes, but he eventually managed to make his way towards the exit.

Once he had left, Kuramoto gave a very drawn out sigh and the room's ambience went back to how it was prior to Togami's arrival.

"Kuramoto-kun!" Ishimaru ran up to Kuramoto. "That kind of action was completely unnecessary!"

"He got what was coming to him." Asahina had said.

Both Kuramoto and Ishimaru were both surprised by her words.

"Thank you for teaching him a lesson, Kuramoto-kun." Asahina simply said as she went back to spot at the shrine.

"It doesn't matter if you think lowly of me for this." Kuramoto said to Ishimaru. "Trampling on the dead and those in mourning is the one thing I will absolutely _not_ tolerate, consequences be damned."

Kuramoto then went towards the back of the crowd at the shrine. There were no more disturbances going and eventually the group slowly but surely started to disperse. Kuramoto was the last to leave, he decided to arrange the table that had the makeshift shrine to be around the glass panes before leaving to retire in his room.

Kuramoto decided to update his pocket journal before turning in for tonight.

* * *

 _Day 4 after imprisonment_

 _9:30 PM_

 _Important Points_

 _\- The motive videos contained footage of those close to us in peril._

 _\- Monokuma has explained the full implications of the killing game. Every murder is followed with a Class Trial that will end in either the culprit or all of us executed._

 _\- Hagakure was killed and Oogami was found to be the culprit._

 _\- Maizono had also attacked Naegi the previous night, I managed to keep him alive._

 _Observations/Details_

 _\- The execution was brutal, especially from an emotional perspective, is Monokuma just sadistic or is there a reason behind it?_

 _\- Despite Maizono attacking Naegi, it looks like the other classmates were willing to look past it for now. I made clear I will step in if she falls out of line again._

 _T- he fact that the videos showed all sixteen of us having loved ones in peril only brings further credence that we have been here longer than expected and that something major is happening outside._

* * *

With that done. Kuramoto decided to head to bed. What he didn't know at the time was that this was just only the beginning and that despite his memory loss, there was no way that he could truly escape from the nightmares of his past.

 **Arc 1: School Life's Shattered Bond's End**

 **Surviving Students 14**

* * *

 **Author Notes: WHOO! The first arc of Adaptation to Despair Academy, School Life's Shattered Bonds is complete! If you guys any suggestions on ways to improve this fic, now would the time to bring it up. If you guys have any questions regarding the fanfic, I have decided to go ahead and collect them and post them via a Q and A part. (Note: Any questions you ask that will involve spoilers cannot be guaranteed to have answers that you may like to have.)**

 **On a bit of a side note, I'm considering to start doing bonus chapters in the future. Theses will mainly revolve around the 4 co workers of Fumio Kuramoto that were introduced and where they fit in the story. I think it might some depth and allow you guys to see how things play out from the eyes of folks outside of the main cast. I hoped you enjoyed and as always, I'm open to suggestions for improvements. Another Author out!**


	11. Bonus Chapter: Eiichi City

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoftand their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

Eiichi City. An island city located about 150 kilometers south of Yokohama. It originally started off as a forward military base to help serve as a resting and resupplying location to help keep Tokyo safe back in the 1900s. It later began to expand into a small town and eventually into a small city of about 75, 000 people.

Right now, it's one of the few remaining standing cities within Japan territory. Due to the city's history of being a military base and being one of the more independent cities, it managed to survive the Tragedy with surprising little damage. To many, it looked like the city knew the Tragedy was coming and prepared for it in advance. Nobody outside of the city had managed to figure out how they had managed to successfully foresee the Tragedy. The only thing folks know is that the city is heavily fortified from practically every angle. Even now, nobody, not even Ultimate Despair themselves, has been able to do serious damage to the city. All attempts as of now of reducing the city to dust or getting members of Ultimate Despair inside the city via infiltration have all ended in failure. It almost seemed that the city and it's current leaders were always one step ahead of Ultimate Despair.

* * *

 **Apr 2, 2010 Eiichi City Police Department: Approximately two years from present day**

It started as a normal day, little different from any other. The Eiichi police department was busy with its mundane tasks, nothing really out of the ordinary.

A person just entered the front door, he looked like a delivery boy. He stepped up to the secretary and said the following:

"Good morning, I'm here to deliver a package for Kenjiro Hiroshi."

"Ok. I'll take the package and let him know to come and get it." The secretary responded.

"Sorry ma'am, but I was instructed to ensure that Hiroshi-san receives the package personally."

The delivery boy continued seeing the look of confusion on the secretary's face.

"The person was mysteriously cloaked, covered head to toe, he paid a very hefty sum of yen to ensure that this package gets to him directly."

Unsure as to what to do with this situation, the secretary decided to do call Hiroshi to come and get the package.

"Criminal Investigations, this is Kenjiro Hiroshi."

"Hiroshi-san, there is a package here for you that needs to be picked up immediately."

"I suppose it can't wait."

"The deliverer says that he was paid to deliver it to you directly."

" _Delivered directly to me?"_

"I understand. I'll be right over."

It didn't take long for Hiroshi to make his way to the front desk.

"I was told a package was for me?" Hiroshi stated as soon he got the front desk.

The delivery boy simply handed him the package. It wasn't a very large one. It was one that you could pretty easily carry with you in one hand.

"I was instructed that you are to receive this package in person." The delivery boy repeated. "I was also informed to tell you that the deliverer will contact you soon."

With that, the delivery boy gave a deep bow and walked out of the building.

" _Strange...why would the sender want to have the package delivered to me by hand and ensure that it was only me that gets it? I can't think of anyone that would hold a grudge against me and the package doesn't appear to be dangerous? Hmmm…."_

Hiroshi just simply began to return to his office with the new package in hand. As soon as he got back, he was greeted by his subordinates.

"Good morning, Hiroshi-san!" Both Takara and Tonomi said.

"You got a package?" Minato said with curiosity in his voice.

"Yeah, what's strange is that not only that I wasn't expecting one, but the deliverer was insistent of me getting this in person."

"How strange…" Minato said.

"Well, let's see what's inside!" Takara said.

Hiroshi open the package and inside it were two items. A cellphone and what looked like some type of transmitter.

A few moments just after the package was opened, the cell phone began to ring. Not sure how else to respond, Hiroshi decided to answer it.

A male voice that was clearly altered by a voice changer began to speak.

"Hello, Detective Kenjiro Hiroshi. It's look you got the package without a hitch. Good."

" _What? How did person know I received a package? Unless, he's the one that sent it."_

"Who is this?"

"That's not important now. What's important is that I'm here because of Fumio Kuramoto. "

"Kuramoto-kun?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I can't stay to chat in this manner. If you want to know the details, use that transmitter that came with the phone with a computer that is disconnected from the internet. Oh yes, your subordinates that are currently with you are welcome to join."

With that, the phone disconnected. Hiroshi was immediately trying to process what he had just learned.

"Who was that?" Minato asked.

"Was it Fumio-kun?" Tonomi asked, somewhat worried.

"I'm not sure, but at the very least, this person knows who we are and knows Kuramoto-kun." Hiroshi replied, turning to his subordinates.

"Whoever this person is wants us to setup this transmitter with a computer that isn't connected to the internet."

"A private two way network, perhaps?" Minato concluded.

"Why would this stranger want to talk to us privately and how is Fumio-kun involved in this?" Takara questioned.

"There's only one way to find out." Hiroshi said.

Everyone made their way to Hiroshi's private office. It took some time to properly disconnect the computer completely from the network as well to safely transfer the important files away from the computer.

"Ok…." Takara said as he began to properly setup the network he physically set up. "Just need to configure a few more things…and we are connected."

The network was accepted into the computer. All four were now standing by to see what would happen. It didn't take long.

A request to install some type of communication application was popping up. It wasn't the usual ones that you see and hear about all the time. This one looked to be custom made, one likely to be more secure if the patterns the mysterious person has shown anything about them so far.

One installed programmed later and without warning an image appeared on the screen.

It looked like some type of hooded silhouette with a static background behind the person.

"Excellent, it looks like you guys had no problems with setting up the network yourselves. This will make things easier."

"Who are you?" Hiroshi asked.

"My name isn't really important, but if you insist on calling me something, then you may address me as Yochi, the Ultimate Hacker. As for how I am involved with Fumio-kun as Takara-san put it earlier, you can say that I am an ally of Fumio-kun's."

"An ally of Fumio-kun's?" Tonomi repeated.

"Did you say Ultimate? As in Hope's Peaks Ultimates" Takara asked.

To answer Takara's question, that's correct, I am currently a student at Hope's Peak. And yes, I am indeed an ally Tonomi-san." Yochi answered.

"So, you are a student at Hope's Peak and acquainted with Kuramoto-kun. What bussiness do you have with us?" Minato demanded.

"I am here because Fumio-kun recently sent me an unexpected request for my services yesterday." Yochi said, getting straight to the point.

"An unexpected requested?" Hiroshi said.

"Yes, he asked me to remove any and all traces of history involving you guys and all other allies he has."

"What!?" All of them said at almost the exact same time.

"I don't know the details behind why, but I do know it was a part of one of his major contingency plans he has had in his mind. A rewriting of his history to make it seem that he doesn't have anyone close to him."

" _Contingency plans? Could this be related to what he did just before he left for Hope's Peak?"_

 **Flashback**

"There is something that I want to give you guys before I leave for the academy." Kuramoto said.

Kuramoto was leaving in a few days to attend Hope's Peak. The office decided to go ahead and throw one last celebration for him for be able to attend the school. Right now, he has asked his coworkers that he has known for nearly five years to listen to him for a request.

Kuramoto had put his hands in his pockets and revealed a set of keys. One for each of them and he handed them to his coworkers. In addition, he also handed Hiroshi a sheet of paper that contained an address as well as some instructions.

"In the event that something bad should end up happening while I'm gone, follow the instructions on the paper. It will lead you guys to a safe location."

"Aren't you jumping the gun a bit?" Takara said. "It's not like you are going to a war or something. You are just heading to a new school."

"I know, Minoru-kun, but I've decided to do this just as a safety precaution."

"Geez, you worry way too much!" Takara said, ruffling Kuramoto's head.

"I admit. It will be unfortunate that we will not able to call upon you for assistance." Minato said. "But, we will manage, just like we always have."

"We'll be alright, but thank you for thinking about us Fumio-kun." Tonomi said.

"You're welcome, Tonomi-nee." Kuramoto replied.

 **End Flashback**

"Why would he do that?" Takara asked.

"The obvious answer would be to prevent others from knowing about our connection to him." Minato calculated.

"That still doesn't make sense. Why would he cut us off like that?"

"Moron. He didn't do so because he wants to cut us off. It's most likely because having that information around could result in either us or himself getting hurt." Minato remarked.

"Who are you calling a moron!?" Takara replied.

"Now, now. Do I need to put you two in timeout?" Tonomi said, keeping her iconic smile.

The two of them, knowing just how cruel she could be if they test her patience, immediately dropped the matter.

"No, you don't." Both Minato and Takara said simultaneously.

" _Anyways."_ Yochi continued. "Minato-san is most likely correct in saying that he wanted to protect you guys. If I had to guess, he must have came across an adversary that is extremely dangerous and won't hesitate to use any and all means to get to him."

"This isn't right!" Tonomi declared. "If anything, because he is facing a tough enemy is precisely why he should come to us for assistance."

"This brings us back full circle to why I have called you here today." Yochi brought up. "If my hypothesis is correct, it would be extremely dangerous to try and assist him in the conventional sense. On the other hand, if someone, oh I don't know, like a hacker happened to come along and bring any information he manages to accumulate back to Fumio-kun."

"I see, we will be able to help out indirectly by having you act as a liaison between us and Kuramoto-kun." Hiroshi deduced.

"Correct. In return, I will send you all information that I have both in regards to what I find in regards to the information Fumio-kun sends me and what I find that's related to it in my own research notes."

"Interesting idea. And definitely not a bad proposal, but just how exactly can you be trusted? Minato pressed.

"I am sending you the recording of the conversation that came with the request." Yochi answered.

With those words said, a sound file had appeared on within the communication program. Hiroshi went ahead and clicked on it.

* * *

" **Yankee, this is Foxtrot Kilo."**

" **Yankee here. I presume this is a business request?"**

" **Indeed. I want to execute contingency plan Alpha Alpha Delta."**

" **Are you sure?"**

" **Yes, if the person I just crossed paths with is even as half as dangerous as I am presuming, this just might the most dangerous foe I have yet to encounter."**

" **Very well, consider it done within 24 hours."**

* * *

The recording had ended after that last line.

"Regardless if you guys decide to trust me or not, once I get more information about who he thinks is dangerous and why, I will let you guys know right away via the cell phone."

"Until then, I will see you guys later."

With that, the conversation was terminated.

"What's your call, Hiroshi-san?" Minato asked.

"Hmmm…I think we should at least hear what he manages to find out at the very least before making any serious decisions." Hiroshi decided. "You are right in being skeptical, Minato-kun, but if he's telling the truth, It would be foolish to straight up ignore this."

"I agree. Fumio-kun is one of us, after all. It would be nothing short of shameful to just leave him the dirt." Takara decreed.

"I'd say let's give Yochi-san a chance before passing judgment." Tonomi said.

"Very well, if you guys think he's worth listening to, then we might as well." Minato stated. "If nothing else, we might learn something from him."

"Very well, let's go ahead and disconnect this transmitter and get back to work." Hiroshi commanded.

* * *

 **Author Notes: That's it for the first bonus chapter. A question for you viewers. What you guys like about this story and/or what you guys think is/are weak area/s of this story? I do want to hear your guys' opinions so I can play to my writing style's strengths and improve on my weak areas and ultimately make the story enjoyable for you guys. I hoped you enjoyed and will see you guys on the next part. Another Author out!**


	12. Arc 2 Part 1: A New World

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Notes: I decided to go ahead and remove the soundtracks from the story for the time being. I thought they did kinda cut off the momentum of the story a bit. If enough people are insistent on bringing them back, I will. Otherwise, I will no longer add them and start to remove them from the previous chapters.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer : I hoped you liked it. My primary aim with the extra chapters is to help further cement the idea that Fumio Kuramoto really is a part of the Danganronpa World and ultimately how his actions affect those not involved in the killing game.**

 **Tsunashi777 : I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. I do hope you will stick around to the story's conclusion.**

 **LazyWriterDude : Only time will reveal the exact fate of Kuramoto's coworkers. But do keep in mind that as of present day, Eiichi City is one of the few cities that is still standing despite the Tragedy.**

* * *

 **Arc 2: Dark Pasts and Revelations**

 **Location: ?**

 **Time: ?**

All Kuramoto could see was darkness. He could tell that this was a dream of some type. As he tried to make sense of what was going on, he heard an unusual sound. It sounded like something was flying above him. Focusing in on the sound, he determined that it was an airplane. He also began to pick up the sound of something dropping from the sky. He couldn't figure it out until he saw it for himself. The darkness around him vanished as a massive fire appeared in front of him. From the newly found flames, he saw a humanoid figure that was alight approach him. He felt like he knew who it was, but the name was just out of his grasp.

"Why?"

Kuramoto shouldn't have been affected by something as simple as this, but he felt all of his confidence and resolve waver as the figure approach him and ask him that simple question nonstop. Kuramoto began to back away from the figure. As he tried to get away, he realized that the fire had formed a circle around him and another figure that was one fire appeared.

"Why are you still alive?"

More and more figures began to come forth from the circle of fire. At this point, Kuramoto realized that this was a nightmare. It had to be. Unfortunately, him being aware of this fact didn't make hearing the voices or seeing the flaming figures any else painful. It was just too much. The questions, the cries of agony that he was starting to hearing. It was pure torture for Kuramoto to listen to. The voices were taunting, nightmarish. They reminded him of a painful tragedy that he was involved with, but he just couldn't figure out what. He couldn't remember what it was; why he was being so heavily tormented.

"Why didn't you save us?"

"You should have been the one to perish."

"You should join us in death."

"Your actions won't ever make up for your failures."

"You can't do anything. You can't save anyone."

The figures continued to get closer and closer. Kuramoto could feel the fire beginning to sear away at his flesh. His senses could no longer feel anything other than his burning flesh and haunting voices. His mind began to white from everything. But throughout all of the suffering that he was going through, it had revealed more of his memories. The memories of his past.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy, Kuramoto's Room**

 **Time: 0645**

Kuramoto had woken up with a jolt from the nightmare he had experienced. Still reeling from the dreadful experience, Kuramoto got up and headed towards the restroom. Looking at his mirror, the pale face that was looking back at him truly showed just how much stress he was dealing with. Now to add to that, the past memories he received and the trauma that came with them. The fact that he hadn't caved in was a sign of his overall mental fortitude.

" _Get a hold of yourself!"_

Kuramoto slammed his hands onto the sink.

" _You can't allow yourself to be overwhelmed by an event that you cannot change. You must press forward! Both for your classmates' sake and theirs. To cower away all because of a few nightmares, it would be insulting to them to do that!"_

After that little pep talk, Kuramoto returned to his room and decided to get ready for the day. He now had an idea on what needed to be done in order to bring the mood up both for himself and the others. He first decided to check up on Naegi just to make sure he would now be able to move on his own.

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

" _ **Ahem, this is a school announcement. Goooood mooorning, everyone! It is now 7AM! Nighttime is now over! Get ready to greet another beaaauutiful day! "**_

As the announcement went off, the other students began to wake up. They all began to get ready for the day and make their way to the cafeteria for the usual morning. Many of the students began to notice a pleasant smell was coming from the cafeteria and were drawn to it. Once they entered, they found Naegi was already there and with him, there were several plates worth of pancakes, along with enough coffee, water, tea and juice to serve all 14 of them.

"Good morning, Naegi-kun!" Ishimaru shouted.

"What's with the pancakes?" Kuwata said.

"Did you make theses?" Maizono asked

"No, I didn't." Naegi denied. "Kuramoto-kun did, he went to check up on me just a bit before the morning announcement. Once it played, he went to the cafeteria together together and he went straight to the kitchen to cook breakfast. He wanted to make some food for everyone today."

"Ah, perfect."

Kuramoto stepped out of the kitchen with one last plate's worth of pancakes.

"It looks like I was able to finish up just in time. It's just like Naegi-kun said, the food is all yours."

The other students began to sit down and eat the food that was in front of them.

"These are pretty good." Asahina said.

"The chick is right, these are pretty damn good." Oowada agreed.

"Are we sure that Master Fumio Kuramoto isn't the Ultimate Cook instead of the Ultimate Mastermind?" Yamada asked.

"You continue to surprise me with your culinary skills." Celes claimed, helping herself to some tea.

"This is delicious." Fujisaki stated.

"I can't believe you are able to make these pancakes so tasty." Ikusaba complimented.

"Like I said earlier, I just learned how to cook by necessity. After doing it enough times with a few recipes, I just got good at it. It also helps that I have decent ingredients to work with." Kuramoto said humbly.

"I can see it now." Celes said, giggling." The fearless, intimidating Fumio Kuramoto being the perfect househusband."

"You're more than welcome to bring a camera the next time I cook." Kuramoto said dismissively. "While I may not enjoy cooking all that much, it's an extremely useful skill to have."

"You should do this more often, this is really good." Naegi said.

"While I don't have a problem doing so, it would help out considerably if I have a pair of extra hands helping out." Kuramoto responded. "Cooking for 14 people does take quite a bit of time. Especially if I plan on making anything more than just a single item."

"Well, I did learn a little bit of cooking from my mother and sister." Naegi said. "I may be able to help out."

"Alright, if you wish to help out, meet me here at the cafeteria every morning just after the morning announcement."

Kuramoto was glancing around with some coffee at hand. Togami, unsurprisingly, hadn't shown up yet. In addition, Fuwaka hadn't eaten yet. A bit concerned, he decided to check up on her, bringing her a plate.

"You're not gonna eat, Fukawa-san?"

"W-Why do you c-care?" Fukawa said.

"I care because I'm worried about you. After all, refusal to eat is always a red flag in these kinds of situations. Even if you want to scoff at the idea that I care about you, I did promise Oogami-san that I would look after everyone and I do intend to fulfill that promise to the best of my abilities." Kuramoto answered before Fukawa could make a remark.

"..."

"Y-You could have p-poisoned these pancakes. T-That way, you could easily k-kill anyone here!" Fukawa accused.

"H-Hey, there's no way he would-" Naegi started.

"I will concede that you do have a point." Kuramoto stated, shocking everyone in the room, Fukawa especially. "However, there are three fundamental problems with your accusation."

"P-Problems?" Fukawa repeated.

"First, there isn't anything that we have found so far that could be used as a viable poison. The only things that could qualify for that would be things like laundry detergent or bleach. But in order for most household things like that to be lethal, you would have to ingest large amounts of them. Not to mention if substances like that were used in the pancakes, it would obvious. So obvious that unless you are not able to neither see or smell, you would definitely notice it."

The others didn't even consider that possibility and were a bit uncomfortable at the suggestion, but Kuramoto wasn't done yet.

"Second, everyone else at this point has already grabbed pancakes and from every plate no less. I'm pretty sure if the pancakes were poisoned, the expected signs that would show up from someone being poisoned would have been appearing by now."

"Lastly, why I would try to poison someone with the pancakes? The food that everyone knows that I made. If someone died at a result of that, I would be shipped off to the chopping block so quickly that Amazon would be put out of business."

Fukawa was completely silenced by his deductions. Seeing that she had been outwitted and Kuramoto seemed like the type of person that would insist, she decided to give up.

"F-Fine, I-I'll have the pancake." Fukawa said with a small tint of pink appearing on her cheeks.

Fukawa began to dig in as well. She, just like the others, was surprised that the pancake was actually pretty good. However, before she could comment on it...

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

" _ **Ahem, this is a school announcement. Emergency! Emergency! Everyone, please gather at the gym immediately!"**_

As soon as everyone heard that announcement, they headed immediately to the gym, expecting their captor to do something that would push the students further to despair or to incite another killing.

…

…

Only to find just how wrong they were.

"Up and down! Up and down! One. Two. Three. Four. One! Two! Three! Four!"

Monokuma was up on the stage as per usual. However, he was doing jumping jacks. While it was presumed that everyone was expected to join him, the only individual that was doing so was Ishimaru. Everyone else was either baffled by what they were witnessing or realized that there was no punishment for not doing them and decided to ignore the monochrome bear.

Kuramoto was amongst the latter group. He went ahead and retreated into his own thoughts upon realizing that he wasn't required to do anything.

" _What the heck is that bear trying to accomplish with this? From any rational standpoint, this doesn't make sense."_

From that train of point, a light bulb hit him.

" _Unless, whoever is controlling that bear isn't trying to be rational. Now that I think about, maybe that's the problem. That might be why I've been unable to comprehend our captor's thought process. If rationality is tossed out the window, then what he mentioned a few days ago begins to make more sense."_

 **Flashback**

"Hold on. What exactly are you? What exactly do you hope to gain by doing this to us?" Kirigiri asked.

"What I gain, you ask?" Monokuma tilted his head. "Well, if you really wish to know…"

"Your despair. That's all."

 **End Flashback**

" _If despair is what our captor is aiming for then the emotions that were felt after the execution must be what they were aiming for. In that case, I now have a basic idea for what our captor truly wants. I just might be able to figure out our captor's thought process. If I can, I can exploit it and plan around that accordingly."_

Phew! It feels great to get a good workout i! Staying indoors isn't good for your health!" Monokuma said.

"Then shouldn't we be doing this outside, then?" Kuramoto said nonchalantly.

"Don't sweat the small stuff. That's my motto."

"You better not have brought us here just for exercising!" Oowada said, losing his patience.

"Just to exercise? Pffffffft. You're just jealous because you cannot handle by workout!" Monokuma retaliated.

"Just answer the question…" Naegi buts in, annoyed. "Did you really call us here to do some exercise?"

"Heavens no! I don't have that kind of time!"

"Ahem! I have an announcement to make! For every class trial that you guys survive, a new world will be made accessible to you! So, feel free to begin exploring. Enjoy the post-trial world!"

With that said, Monkuma had left.

"A new world?" Naegi asks.

"Maybe it's a way out?" Asahina said optimistically.

"The chances of that being the case are low." Celes comments.

"You can't say shit till you actually looked!" Oowada shouted.

"No matter. It looks like another search of the school needs to be done." Kuramoto said.

"Then, let's get going! We'll rendezvous at the cafeteria afterwards like last time!" Ishimaru declares.

Everyone decided to go their own ways. Kuramoto decided to explore on his own this time. He immediately noticed that both the doors to the storage room and the bathhouse were unlocked now. Kuramoto decided to take a look at the storage room first.

The storage itself was quite massive, plenty of supplies to go around. From more food, to additional clothing, school equipment and a ton of other materials. Regrettably, he didn't find anything noteworthy with his search. The only really noteworthy thing that the storage room itself was outfitted with a card reader, just like with the dorms.

Kuramoto next move was the unlocked bathhouse. As soon as he walked in, he was in a changing room. There wasn't anything special about it and the place was empty. The same was true for the bathhouse itself and the sauna that accompanied it. However, there was one important factor about this place that was noteworthy.

" _This is a blind spot for the mastermind. They cannot see or hear anything via the cameras or any bugging equipment. It probably has to do with the heat and steam that this place projects."_

Kuramoto then took out his notebook and began to write down a few things.

Other than that, the only other notable thing was that the door was outfitted with a card reader, just like the storage room.

Upon entering the second floor, which was now also unlocked, he head immediately to the pool area ( according to the updated map) since it was the closest thing.

It looks like Celes, Asahina, Kuwata, Maizono, Ikusaba and Fujisaki all had the same idea, as Kuramoto spotted all of them as he entered the pool's front area.

"There's a pool in the back. A pool! There's a pool. A pool, a pool!" Asahina said as soon as Kuramoto entered the room.

"Calm down, Asahina-san. I heard you the first time." Kuramoto replied.

"There's also tons of exercising equipment. I'm sure you and Ikusaba-chan will like it!"

"If it means our quality of life keeps improving like this, I could deal with the occasional class trial. Ehehehe…" Ludenberg said, giggling a little bit.

"Ugh. Please don't joke about that." Kuwata groaned out.

"While the additional luxuries are nice, I would prefer that it wouldn't result in people dying in order to obtain them." Kuramoto stated.

"Anyways," Maizono said, trying to change the subject. "It looks like you need your e-handbook to get inside the locker rooms."

"So it's identical to our dorm rooms." Kuramoto deduced. "But that doesn't explain why there's a gatling gun just above us."

"I presume it's to keep everyone in the correct areas." Celes suggested.

" _Right, because apparently a gatling gun is entirely necessary for locker room security."_

"You are absolutely right!" Monokuma said, appearing out of nowhere. "It's only a matter of time before some of you tries to go for straight up sex in one of our dressing rooms. So security must be cranked up a notch!"

Most people's faces now had shades of either pink or red on them as their minds trailed south.

"Wait." Kuramoto said. "So, you are worried about people getting intimate in the locker rooms, but not anywhere else inside the school?"

"Meh. If you that desperate, I doubt 100 gatling guns will stop you." Monokuma shrugged.

 _" *Sigh* Of course."_

"If Maizono-san is right in that you use the e-handbooks to differentiate genders." Fujisaki said, trying to change the subject. "What if someone borrowed an e-handbook from someone else?"

"..."

Monokuma went silent for a moment before saying.

"Sure. Why not, knock yourselves out." His response surprised everyone. "If you that desperate to be willing to give someone else your only key to most of the school, then be my guest. After all, I did mention on the first day that these things can be used for more than just identifying you. It would be *pretty* incriminating if your e-handbook was found at the scene of a crime."

Tension grew within the room after those words were spoken. No one could deny that. It was the key to access someone else's room. Plus, they could be used to prevent someone from collecting evidence as it did have that function. On top of that, there's no telling as to what other functions the e-handbook could have due to Monokuma being able to add apps at will. Simply put, to give someone else your e-handbook was a huge risk, one that no one else was willing to take.

After that, Monokuma had left the room.

" _Hmm…..I know a way to ease the tension. It may be a little cruel but…"_

"So, what do you guys plan to do in the locker rooms?" Kuramoto asked.

Everyone's mind trailed south again at what Kuramoto words were implying. But someone did end up taking the bait.

"What are you saying Kuramoto-kun!?" Asahina said with her face now red. "There's no way anyone would do _that_ in a locker room!"

"Oh my." Kuramoto said, feigning a surprised look. "What were _you_ thinking about just now? I was just referring to if you guys were planning on investigating the locker rooms."

Asahina's face turned even more red as she now realized her mistake. She tried to explain that she didn't mean it like that, but she became a stuttering mess.

Celes just simply started giggling. "How cruel Kuramoto-san. I wouldn't have expected you to pull something like that."

"Well hey. It increases the impact of the words if it isn't something one would expect. Besides, I am the Ultimate Mastermind. One does not simply become a mastermind, much less an Ultimate, without being skilled at manipulation." Kuramoto replied.

"I can't believe that you would do that, Kuramoto-kun!" Asahina said, her face still red.

"Now, now." Kuramoto said, using his hands in a 'calm down' gesture. "I was only teasing, no need to get so flustered."

"Your teasing is going to your throat slit one of these days." Celes said, still amused. "And I would prefer not to lose our most valuable intellectual asset all because of a poorly timed choice of words."

"Oh, come on Celes-san, give me some credit." Kuramoto replied. "I'm pretty sure if I was that easy to kill, I would have died a long time ago."

"Ugh. Can you two please just stop." Kuwata complained. "You're giving me a headache."

Seeing that their talk was starting to make the others uncomfortable and neither of them wanted to antagonize the others more than what was needed, they just simply smiled at one another before parting ways.

The investigation of the guys locker room and swimming pool was pretty straightforward. They were pretty much exactly as one would expect them to be. It was somewhat baffling for Kuramoto that a swimming pool was on the second floor to begin with; mainly due to the immense structural strength one would need in order to prevent the water from crashing down on the floor below. Other than that, there was nothing noteworthy of the pool area that wasn't already covered by the others.

Kuramoto then decided to check the classrooms and bathroom before heading to the library. He didn't find anything of value within the classrooms.

On the other hand, when he did investigate the second floor guys bathroom, he did notice a few things. First, the bathroom was another blind spot for the mastermind. Secondly, upon entering the closet, he found out that there was a secret entrance. Surprised, he entered the new entrance way to find that there was a room inside. It was a dimly lit and dank place, but it had a desk, a shelve and a couple of documents. Additionally, it also contained a box that had some random machine parts.

" _Holy mother of…"_

" _I'll come back later. If the mastermind doesn't expect me to find this place, they might get suspicious if I am gone for too long."_

Kuramoto returned back to the hallway, keeping his usual appearance to prevent the mastermind from reading him via the cameras.

Having checked everywhere else, Kuramoto finally headed to the library. Inside the library was Togami, Kirigiri, Naegi, Fukawa and Yamada. Both Kirigiri and Togami were inspecting the laptop that was on one of the desks, but it looked like it was either broken or out of power. Kuramoto thought is was the latter due to the huge amount of dust the library had and that there were no visible signs of damage on the thing. Naegi was currently inspecting the shelves to see if he could find anything. Lastly, Fukawa and Yamada were having a debate on magna/doujin vs classic literature and novels. Kuramoto decided to just ignore them, not wanting to get dragged into that conversation. While the others were doing their thing, Kuramoto decided to investigate the door that didn't lead back into the hallway.

"It's just an old archive, I doubt you will find anything of interest in there." Togami stated.

Kuramoto decided to ignore him and enter anyway. The room, just like the library, was dimly lit and filled with dust. However, there was one thing that almost immediately grabbed Kuramoto's attention. One of the shelves contained some cold case files. Kuramoto immediately recognized some of them due to his time working in the Criminal Investigations department. Upon taking a look at a few of them, he recognized one of the cases. It was a file on Genocider Syo. He began to read through it. He could tell right away that this was an authentic copy of files having looked over it himself. Taking a closer look at some of the other documents in the room revealed to be that these documents were dangerous. In the sense that having knowledge of these things can ensure that you can end up having a bullet between the eyes. Kuramoto, naturally, recognized a few of theses due to the research he had to do in order to combat powerful organizations.

As he stepped out of the archives, with the Genocider Syo case file in hand, he noticed that the others were gathered around Naegi. It looked like he found a letter of some kind. Naegi then began to read the contents of said letter.

* * *

"Notice from the Hope's peak Academy Administrative Office,

For many years, Hope's Peak Academy has dedicated itself to the cultivation of world-class talent. The academy – operating under special government sanction – has a long-standing tradition of producing the highest quality graduates in all fields, many of whom are still flourishing in society.

Nevertheless, it has come to pass that this glorious work must, for the time being, be placed on hold. We bitterly regret having to make this decision, but the grave problem which has arisen has our hands tied. However, this does not spell the end for Hope's Peak Academy. We fully intend to reinstate operations as soon as the aforementioned problem has been remedied.

In conclusion, we would like to offer our sincerest thanks to everyone who has provided their support and assistance over the years. And, in addendum, we would like to make it known that we are waiting to receive approval from the relevant branches of the government before formally ceasing operations here at Hope's Peak Academy."

* * *

"What does this mean?" Naegi asked.

"The note's contents are quite intriguing." Togami states.

"This note seems to indicate that Hope's Peak Academy was shut down." Kirigiri deduced. "And if I had to guess, judging from the amount of collected dust, I'd say this letter is at least a year old."

" _This seems to further collaborate the idea that a lot of time has passed from when we lost consciousness to when we woke up in this situation."_

"You're saying...that Hope's Peak Academy was shut down a year ago?" Naegi asked.

"It would explain as to how the mastermind managed to take over the school and install the modifications to the school." Kuramoto chimed in. "If a whole year had passed, they would have had plenty of time to set everything up. Additionally, if the school has been closed, it would also explain why there are no other students of staff members around."

"Very true." Kirigiri agreed. "It would be a simple and reasonable answer."

"But that doesn't make sense!" Naegi objected. "It would mean that it was closed when we all arrived a few days ago. But I didn't notice anything that would indicate that the school was closed. Furthermore, if the school had been closed, surly it would have been mentioned on the news or something. And I didn't see anything about Hope's Peak closing when I was searching about the school online."

"You do have a point, Naegi-kun. I also didn't see anything about Hope's Peak closing when I was researching the school. And I refuse to acknowledge the idea that something of that big of a caliber would escape my notice." Kuramoto concurred.

" _I'm now entirely certain that we have been here for a long time now, but the question is why and is my memory loss connected to this."_

"Hmph. Such conclusions are based entirely on whether or not the note is true. It could easily just be here to mislead us." Togami claimed.

"Or it could be to give us a hint." Kirigiri suggested. "Monokuma does seems to be the type of person to do that. Plus, he has been actively encouraging everyone to explore the school."

" _Kirigiri-chan brings up a good point. Although if that's the case, there are only two reasons I can think of as to why Monokuma would do that. Either he's that confident that we won't find the truth or our investigation of the school must be a part of a Xanatos Gambit."_

"A fair point." Kuramoto added. "Let's keep both possibilities in mind for now."

"By the way, what exactly are you holding in your hand, Kuramoto-kun?" Naegi asks.

"This?" Kuramoto said, revealing the case file. "I found this in the archive. It's a cold case file about Genocider Syo."

"Cold case? Genocider Syo?" Naegi asked.

"Take a look for yourselves, albeit a fair warning, this document is quite graphic." Kuramoto said, laying the case file down for everyone to see.

Everyone, except Fukawa had gathered around the file.

"Cold case files like theses are normally not released to the public and you would typically need permission from,at a minimum, the Lieutenant of the Office of Criminal Investigations to even see these types of files."

"That's make it all the more curious as to what this was doing in the archives." Kirigiri said.

"That's because the archive is filled with files of a similar nature to this one." Togami answered. "Not just of police files, but of all types of files that the public eyes' would never gaze upon."

"Huh?" Naegi said.

"Say what!?" Yamada said.

"Togami speaks the truth. The archive is filled with all types of files that would get people assassinated for having knowledge of." Kuramoto confirmed.

Naegi, Yamada and Fukawa were all shocked by this information. They just couldn't believe that such information existed and it was right here at Hope's Peak Academy, no less.

"As for why it's here, easily accessible to everyone, is a mystery to me." Kuramoto continued. "But at the very least, Hope's Peak has a considerable level of influence across the nation and even as a bit of influence on a global scale as well. So, I'd imagine it's not that big of a stretch to suggest that the staff at Hope's Peak could procure such information. Even if they couldn't, there's still our captor to consider, who most likely has influence on a national level considering that we are still trapped here and there hasn't been any known attempts at getting us out from outside."

Kuramoto looked up and noticed that Fukawa was away from the group, close to a corner of the room as a matter of fact.

"Fukawa-san, what are doing?" Kuramoto asked.

"I-I'm a h-hemophobic." Fukawa answered. "I-I don't handle blood v-very well."

"I see...anyways," Kuramoto said, closing the case file. "It looks like that's everything that is here, unless anyone else managed to find anything here?"

Seeing that no one gave Kuramoto an answer, he took their silence as a yes. He put the case file back where it was and headed back to the cafeteria.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy, Cafeteria**

 **Time: 1300**

"Excellent work, everyone!" Ishimaru said, beginning the meeting. "What have you guys discovered?"

Everyone began to go over what they found. The pool and it's security measures, the library and the mysterious note, the archives and the usual documents contained in it as well the first floor storage room and bathhouse.

Kuramoto decided to keep quiet about the blind spots inside the bathhouse and second floor bathroom. Lest the mastermind take actions to correct this and prevent making these weaknesses exploitable.

"So, did find anything about a way out?" Oowada asked.

The room had went silent at Oowada's question.

"Seriously!? Who gives a flying damn about some goddamn pool and library when we're still stuck here!?" Oowada shouted out.

"Now. Now. Trying to find fault in everything isn't going to get us anywhere. Adaptability is survivability. I believe I have mentioned this before, yes? So, we might as well enjoy being locked up together."

"Celes-san does have a point." Kuramoto agreed. "I'm far from keen on staying locked up here. But if it's inevitable, we might as well make the most of it. Banging our heads against the doors and windows will only accomplish so much."

" _Not to mention, nobody who is smart enough to figure out an exploitable weakness wouldn't blurt it out for the mastermind to hear."_

While Oowada was annoyed by the fact that Kuramoto was agreeing with what he thought as a loon, he couldn't argue against him, so he decided to drop the matter.

"Well, continue to keep an eye on things. If anyone finds anything, please let the group know." Ishimaru stated, concluding the meeting.

"Now it's my turn!" Monokuma said, making his appearance.

Most were caught off guard by his sudden appearance.

"W-What are you doing here?" Naegi asks, taken aback.

"Now that you guys are finished exploring the new world, I'd thought I would explain some new rules for you guys." Monokuma explained.

"New rules?" Kuramoto said.

"Yes, new rules." Monokuma continued. "You see, attempting to maintain this school all by yourself is extremely tiring. So, I thought of a way to ease the burden of doing so by using you guys!"

"What do you mean?" Togami said.

"Simply put, I'll be assigning tasks that you guys will need to completed on a consistent basis. It ultimately doesn't matter who does what, just as long as the task is done. By the way, in case you need confirmation, failure to complete these tasks will result in a grizzly punishment. If you guys want to know what they are, I've added a new app to the e-handbook that will display all of the available tasks and who volunteered to what. Details on the exact instructions and the expectations will be made available to those who accept the tasks. The app will also state the special privileges one gets for signing up for these tasks. I've also updated the rules for you, since I'm a nice bear!"

Monokuma then left the scene and with it, the expected noises came from everyone's e-handbook, confirming that the e-handbook had been updated.

* * *

 **Rule 13: Students are now required to complete the tasks that are on the "Chores" app. If the group willingly fails to complete the tasks, everyone will be punished. If a person who is assigned a task fails to complete it, that person will be punished.**

* * *

The Chores displayed the following tasks that were required to be done.

* * *

 **Trash Removal**

 **This person will be in charge of removing all trash within the school and dispose of it via the incinerator.**

 **Special Privileges: This person will be given the key to the incinerator's shutters.**

 **Pool Cleaning**

 **This person will be in charge of taken care of the pool and ensure that it is properly cleaned and maintained.**

 **Special Privileges: While this person has taken the task, this person's e-handbook will give them unrestricted access to the swimming pool and both locker rooms at all times, even after nighttime.**

 **Bathhouse Cleaning**

 **This person will be in charge of taken care of the bathhouse and ensure that it is properly cleaned and maintained.**

 **Special Privileges: While this person has taken the task, this person's e-handbook will give them unrestricted access to the bathhouse at all times, even after nighttime.**

 **Cafeteria Cleaning**

 **This person will be in charge of taken care of the cafeteria and kitchen and ensure that everything is properly cleaned and maintained.**

 **Special Privileges: While this person has taken the task, this person's e-handbook will give them unrestricted access to the cafeteria at all times, even after nighttime.**

 **Storage Room Manager**

 **This person will be required to account for all things within the storage and make sure that supplies don't run out.**

 **Special Privileges: While this person has taken the task, this person's e-handbook will give them unrestricted access to the storage room at all times, even after nighttime.**

 **Security Guard**

 **This person will be required to patrol the school at night.**

 **Special Privileges: While this person has taken the task, this person's e-handbook will give them unrestricted access to all dorms rooms and all areas that are locked at nighttime during nighttime.**

* * *

Seeing as this was a new development and that all the tasks had to be done at the risk of execution for not complying. Everyone decided to debate on who would do which task. Ultimately, it was decided that, for now, Yamada takes care of Trash Removal. Asahina deals with Pool Cleaning. Maizono paired with Kuwata and Naegi handles the Bathhouse Cleaning. Kuramoto decided to take the Cafeteria Cleaning task. Ishimaru volunteered to take the Storage Room Manager. Lastly, Oowada paired with Kirigiri, decided to take the Security Guard task.

Everyone began to disperse to go do there own thing.

Kuramoto decided to catch Kirigiri real quick before she left.

"Kirigiri-chan, got a sec."

"What is it?"

"There's something I want to show at the bathhouse." Kuramoto said, darting his eyes in the direction of the cameras.

Taking the hint, Kirigiri simply nodded and together, those two made their way to the bathhouse.

* * *

 **Author Notes: I hoped you enjoyed and will see you guys on the next part. Another Author out!**


	13. Arc 2 Part 2: A Moment of Reprieve

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Notes: I don't really have anything to say this time other than thanks for tuning in whether you'd be a follower, reviewer or otherwise. Enjoy the new part.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer: I second to the fact that Fukawa very badly needs a hug.**

 **Tsunashi777: An interesting idea for a means of witty banter in the future. It's no guarantee that I will make use of it, but I'll keep it in mind.**

 **LazyWriterDude: He probably wouldn't at that point. Remember that the files only state that Genocider Syo is a high school student and has DID. While it does narrow the lists of suspects, it wouldn't be enough to determine an exact identity on its own.**

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy Bathhouse**

 **Time: 1330**

"So, what is it you wanted to show me?" Kirigiri said with an inquisitive stare.

"Well, to start with, the place itself has a distinct attribute that separates it from all other areas. Care to take a guess as to what that is?" Kuramoto said.

Kirigiri took a quick look around the room before answering back.

"There are no cameras here."

"Exactly, the same is true for the actual bathhouse and sauna. And there's no bugging equipment here either. In other words, this is a blind spot for the mastermind." Kuramoto stated.

"So, I decided to go ahead and share with you a method of communication that I figured out. But before that, how good is your English?" Kuramoto said.

Kirigiri switched from Japanese to English near flawlessly.

"Good enough to read and write without any serious problems."

"Perfect, then this method will work perfectly." Kuramoto replied back in English.

Kuramoto then took out his notebook and tore a page inside it.

"Tell me if you are able to figure out what this means." Kuramoto said, switching back to Japanese and handing her the torn page.

* * *

24 12 306 52 121 64 62 13 72 157 46 1411 132 85 74 166 197 148 11 101 2011 22 154 51 138 16 269 3516

561 7121 146 6923 844 14 372 51 9340 68 137 5010 125 2828 3113 19 132 55 6739 81 53

* * *

Kirigiri simply shook her head in response.

"Good. Then the mastermind shouldn't be able to decode it. Come closer and I will tell you how to decode this."

Kirigiri leaned in to properly hear Kuramoto as he started to whisper his instructions.

"So, how this works is that you have the English alphabet in a four rows by seven columns grid, the last two empty spaces are used for spaces. The first number is the number of the column and the second is the number of the row. For example, for the letter 'h', it's on the first column and the second row so the number for it would be 12. If the row number is greater than 4, you just go back to the first row and keep going until you reach the number. Using 'h' again, you can use 16 as well as 12. You with me so far?" Kuramoto explained in a quiet voice.

Kirigiri nodded.

"For triple digit numbers, you keep going left in the columns until you reach the right number of columns. For instance, if you wanted the letter 'a' you can reach it by going over all the columns twice and stop at the first one, making it is that the first number is 15 and then using the numbers 1, 5 or 9 to make the triple digit numbers that represent 'a' either 151, 155 or 159. For four digit numbers, you keep going left in the columns and down in the rows until you get the right number. Using 't' as an example, you can go over the columns once to get the number 13 and then you can use 11 if you go over the columns three times to get the number 11, making the four digit number 1311. To bring everything together, if you were to decode the numbers 12 155 and 1311, you would get the letters 'h', 'a', and 't', spelling out hat. Did you get all that or do you need to have that repeated?" Kuramoto finished.

"Yes, I got it. Thank you, it was a fairly clear explanation."

"Excellent, you seem to be a fast learner. The paper I just gave you is the first message, I found an additional bit of information that will be of interest to you."

Taking the piece of paper, Kirigiri began to decode the message within her mind, it took a minute or two, but she eventually managed to decode the message so it would read this message:

WHILE_MONOKUMA_IS_ACTIVE_HE_CANT_VIEW_THE_CAMERAS

"How did you manage to find out?" Kirigiri asked.

Kuramoto could tell by Kirigiri's eyes and message that she figured out what the message read, so he replied back.

"I ran a little experiment that would test his limits. He was oblivious to a fact that he should have known about if he could."

 **Flashback**

"Alright. I just have one last question for you. I presume you know about the note I asked Oowada to keep safe. Does he still have it?" Kuramoto asked.

"Upupupu. Are you suurre you want to know?" Monokuma said.

"Of course."

"The note is in pieces right now! Burning away at the incinerator!"

Kuramoto just simply stared at him with a look that pretty much says 'You really expect me to believe that?'

"Nah. I'm just kidding! The note is still with him. Nothing has happened to it yet. Anyways, I got something I need to do so, see ya!"

With that, Monokuma went away.

" _So, Monokuma thinks that the note is intact. Perfect."_

 **Flashback**

"I see…Well, if that's the case, then all we need to do now is find a means to exploit that." Kirigiri said.

"Agreed. I'll keep you posted if I find any ideas on how to do that. By the way, Kirigiri-chan, since we are here, how are your memories coming along? Have you managed to recover any of them?"

Kirigiri pondered for a moment before she decided to answer him.

" _He's proven himself to be trustworthy so far. He's been playing a positive leadership role with the group. He saved both Oowada-san and Naegi-kun lives. He was helpful during the Class Trial and Oogami-san was even willing to impart with him her last wish. I can at least give me some information and if he continues to be trustworthy, I'll entrust more information to him."_

"It's been a slow process. I can remember a few things but nothing relevant to to this killing game. While I have been attempting to make use of your suggestion to search for information about the headmaster, I haven't made any headway just yet." Kirigiri answered after a few moments of silence.

"Well, progress is progress, no matter how slow it is. I'm sure you'll recover them soon enough, you are, after all, most likely either the Ultimate Investigator or the Ultimate Detective."

"Huh?" Kirigiri said, surprised.

"That's what I'm guessing your talent is. For example, how did you know that Hagakure's time of death was accurate?"

"Well…" Kirigiri said, recalling what she knew "It was mainly due to the stages of death, more specifically algor mortis, rigor mortis and livor mortis."

"Exactly." Kuramoto said. "Most people wouldn't even have a clue about the stages of death, much less know enough about them in order to accurately pinpoint a time of death. From that there are only one of two conclusions, either you spent a lot of time studying about the stages of death for recreation or…"

"I did investigation work for a living." Kirigiri finished.

Kuramoto nodded. "But that's not the only thing. Out of all the people here, you were the only one who managed to figure out that I was withholding information on the first day, just based of the brief interactions we've had. Furthermore, there's the deduction you made in the library regarding how old the letter we found was by using the dust in the room earlier today. That's something that even I didn't consider."

While Kirigiri remained expressionless, she was impressed that Kuramoto had managed to piece all of that together.

"Plus, if either of those two things are indeed your talent, if you pair that with the possibility of you being related to the headmaster, the reasoning behind your memory loss becomes a lot clearer. Don't you think? _"_

" _Now that he mentions it, it does seem to it. If nothing else, it makes it all the more important that I find a means of being able to recover my memories."_

"So, what about you? Any luck with your memories? And what about that note I gave you?" Kirigiri asked.

"I managed to regain most of my memories prior to Hope's Peak back at this point. However, none of it connects to how we got trapped here or why the Mastermind decided to target me specifically for the general amnesia. However, I may have a theory. That note you gave me is a note that I wrote. Based on the contents, I may have figured out who is running this and was forced to flee. Unfortunately, I won't be able to say anything else until I find more pieces of the puzzle."

" _So, it's a note that he wrote. His idea of him pursuing the Mastermind would make sense as to why they decided to remove his memories and it would also explain why Monokuma seems to have it out for him. But he's right, until more information can be found, it's only a guess."_

"I see...Thank you for keeping me posted. I will get back to you with a note of my own. For now, I'm going to get some rest for the upcoming night shift." Kirigiri said.

As she said that, she began to turn around and walk away.

"Sleep well, Kirigiri-chan." Kuramoto replied.

* * *

With that, Kuramoto eventually began to walk out of the room, pondering on what to do next.

"Kuramoto-kun."

Kuramoto turned around to find that Fujisaki was addressing him.

"Fujisaki-san, what's up."

"I just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out. It's been a while since we last talked."

"Sure, why don't we take this to the cafeteria. If for no other reason than it would be a good idea to grab lunch."

Fujisaki began to walk together towards the cafeteria to grab food.

" _Wait a second. I didn't notice it before since my mind was preoccupied with other tasks, but now that my attention is undivided, the way Fujisaki-san walks is a bit odd."_

The two of them grabbed some food from the cafeteria and eat lunch together. As they were eating together, Kuramoto was continuing his observations of Fujisaki. After watching her for a bit, that's when a revelation hit Kuramoto.

" _That's it! I was wondering what was amiss. The shoulders, the rounded fingers, the Adam's apple. It all makes sense now! The big question now is whether or not I confront Fujisaki-san about it or not."_

"Are you ok, Kuramoto-kun?" Fujisaki asked.

"Yes. Why do you ask?" Kuramoto answered.

"You just seemed to really be in deep thought."

"Sorry. I do tend to do that a lot. Anyways, I am kinda surprised you wanted to hang around me. I would have thought you would prefer to be with one of the girls or perhaps Naegi-kun."

"Well, it just that I want to get to know you better. I mean, you've been so helpful to everyone so far. You even managed to save two lives and yet it feels like I barely know you."

" _He's pretty thoughtful, I'll give him that."_

"I suppose that makes sense. So, what exactly do you want to know about me?"

"Well…what is that you do in your spare time?"

"In my spare time? I do a lot of research about a huge variety of subjects. That's how I accumulated such a massive knowledge pool. Otherwise, I am usually either learning new skills or polishing up some ones that I already know."

"Huh? But what about sports or athletic activities? I do remember hearing that Asahina-chan mentioned that both you and Ikusaba-chan would like the training equipment in the locker room."

"Ah, interested in my physical prowess, are you? Yeah, I do some physical training in conjunction with some martial training in order to maintain the physical strength that I currently carry."

"..."

"I am actually looking for someone that's strong."

"Well, I'm not bad when it comes to physical strength, but why are you looking for someone strong?"

"Umm...I was hoping to start working out. I'm so weak…"

" _I see...probably an inferiority complex; that would explain the crossdressing."_

"I'm hoping that by talking to someone who's strong, they might be able to help."

"Well, I don't have any problems in helping, but there are two questions that I must ask first."

Fujisaki simply nodded at Kuramoto statement.

"First, why exactly do you want train? What do you hope to accomplish to by getting stronger?"

"I've been thinking...I don't want to stay weak forever. After seeing you and Kirigiri-san in particular stepping up and consistently standing strong, I realized that I want to change. I want to become strong, someone who doesn't cower away in fear when things get bad. I want to become someone that I could back at mirror and be proud of."

Kuramoto stayed silent for a moment, before giving Fujisaki a small smile.

"So, you wish to overcome you current limitations and become a better person. That's quite the noble goal. My next question is what's your goal?"

"Goal?"

"Correct, surely you must have a goal in mind? If you really want to get stronger, it helps significantly if you have a specific goal in mind. By doing so, you can measure progress and consequently, it makes it easier for one to continue a training regime." Kuramoto explained.

"Well...I really don't have a goal in mind, I just want to get stronger."

"Hm…...very well. Let's meet up at around 8 tomorrow night just outside the locker rooms. I will put your abilities to the test. From there, we will work with a plan. Sounds good?"

"Ok!" Fujisaki said cheerfully.

It was then that Kuramoto felt a presence closeby. He turned to find that Fukawa was staring at him. She jumped in surprise, not expecting him to see her.

"You know, if you wanted to talk to me, all you had to do was say so." Kuramoto spoke up.

" _Huh? H-He wants t-to talk with me?"_

Fukawa face grew red as Kuramoto had acknowledged her and he was interested in talking to her. She started to make her way towards Fujisaki and Kuramoto when she slipped and was about to fall on her back. Fortunately for her, Kuramoto had very quick reflexes and speed and was able to catch her just before she fell onto the floor. Kneeling down, he was now holding her with one hand behind her head, his other arm holding her lower back.

"Are you okay?" Kuramoto said, worried.

Fukawa was now just staring at him, her face redder than before. She didn't seem to respond to Kuramoto's 's words at all.

" _W-What is this? Muscles!? I-I didn't he was s-strong."_

Outside of Asahina, Ikusaba and Oogami, no one else really knew just how strong Kuramoto really was. In fact, his sweater would frequently keep his body's physique hidden from most. Only those who either saw his upper body unclothed or felt it would know. So to say that Kuramoto's body surprised Fukawa was an understatement.

"Fukawa-san, are you there?" Kuramoto said again.

Once more, Fukawa continued to remain unresponsive, but as far as Kuramoto could tell, it didn't look like she was hurt. But it did look like she was daydreaming.

 **Location: Fukawa's mind**

"Hey, are you okay?"

Fukawa could see that Kuramoto was holding her bridal style with him in a knight's plated armor. Fukawa herself was dressed in a white gown, similar to what you would see in a princess. The environment was just outside a castle tower, like you would typically see out of a fairy tale.

"Y-Yes, I'm okay. T-Thank you for saving me."

"It's no problem. I'm just glad to see that my dear princess is okay."

"Y-Yes, I'm so happy t-that I'm f-finally out of that t-tower!"

"Well then, let's get going. The king and queen are going to be happy to see that their daughter is okay."

"Y-Yes!"

The two of them made their way towards a horse that was prepared in advance. They then got on and rode their way towards the sunset and then…

 **Location: Hope's Peak Cafeteria**

Fukawa was now breathing out heavily. Her face was still red from earlier and now she beginning to drool a little bit. Fujisaki's face was bright red as his mind traveled south from what Fukawa could be thinking about. Kuramoto also had a small blush as his mind likewise also went south. He decided to try call out to her again to attempt to get out of this situation before it got any more awkward.

"Fukawa-san?"

This time, it was enough for Fukawa to awaken from her daydreaming. She realized that she was in Kuramoto arms just barely above the ground.

"Huh? W-What happened?"

"You ended slipping and nearly hit the floor. Luckily, I managed to catch you just in time." Kuramoto answered.

Fukawa then proceeded to get up from the position she was in, brushing herself off.

"T-Thank you."

"No problem, Fujisaki and I were in the midst of lunch, would you like to join us?" Kuramoto invited.

Fukawa just simply nodded before taking her seat. Kuramoto went to go and grab some food for her before returning back to his own seat.

"H-Hey, Kuramoto-san?" Fukawa said.

"Yes?"

"Y-You said earlier that your room is b-basically a study, r-right? I-I'm curious as to w-what type of literature you r-read."

"Ah, yes. I remember mentioning that when we were first investigating the school." Kuramoto recalled.

"Well, as I mentioned when I introduced myself, I usually read mysteries and suspense. In particular, I have read through several books authored by Christie Agatha, Edgar Allen Poe, Sherlock Holmes and Wilkie Collins."

"Q-Quite the classic setup." Fukawa commented.

"Indeed. Sadly, I don't get as much time as I would like to in order to sit down and read, otherwise I would search for lesser well known authors. As for suspense, I actually do like Edgar Allen Poe's material as well, more specifically, I do really like _Masque of the Red Death_ and _The Tell Tale Heart_." Kuramoto continued.

"T-That's surprisingly dark." Fukawa said, surprised.

"Yeah, I did end up finding the books when I was going through a hard time in life." Kuramoto said in a grim tone. "In a sense, they helped in a way that it felt like the author understood the emotions that I was going through."

"T-That's pretty deep." Fujisaki said.

"I-I know what you mean. T-Those who have talent in w-writing can usually project e-emotions onto others pretty easily." Fukawa said, her understanding of literature coming into play.

"As for the rest of my recreational reading, it usually comes down to whatever catches my attention. Although, one last author I grew fond of is George Orwell. His writing abilities may not have been the most impressive when compared to some other authors, but the issues addressed in many of his writings really struck home. Like with _Down and Out in Paris and London_ and _Keep the Aspidistra Flying_ talks about the very real problems of the cruel nature of a capitalist society and the many cases of neglect, indifference and the plethora of other problems that is a part of everyday reality for a lot of people. Then, you have books like _Animal Farm_ and _1984_ which go into the nature of dictatorships, from how they get into power to what everyday life is like for those who are stuck in such rulerships."

"It makes sense you would like those type of books." Fujisaki pitched in. "In order to be able to take down massive organizations like that, you have to understand how they work."

"T-Take down? W-What do you mean?" Fukawa asked.

"Oh yes, I don't think I've mentioned it when I introduced myself. The two major reasons why I was recruited by the school was for my second to none capabilities in strategy and tactics and my hand in deposing several large organizations. Hence the title the SHSL Mastermind."

"W-wait, you took down o-organizations by y-yourself!?" Fukawa exclaimed, shocked.

"Well, it would be more accurate to say that I spearheaded the operations to do so." Kuramoto corrected. "The two biggest ones that most people are familiar with would be the Kasa Phartimectual Company and Engee Studios.

The Kasa Phartimectual company was caught producing viruses as a biological weapon. This was discovered when several places within Africa had been infected with new viruses that were tearing the population to pieces. Following the trail of money led to the discovery that Kasa was responsible for not only funding the medical areas that were around the infected places, but they were also supplying them with the medical supplies which included the viruses. They were trying to use the new epidemics in order to scam money off the now sick populaces by pushing expensive anti-viruses to the viruses they themselves created all the while creating more viruses to keep people sick.

Engee Studios was found to be involved in human trafficking. More specifically, they had huge connections to underground organizations that were in charge of human trafficking. I'd rather not even talk about the things most of the involved parties would to do to those people. An even more deplorable thing I found out was that they had outright bribed both investigators and even people of political power to stay quiet on the matter."

"T-That's awful." Fujisaki cried.

"I-I didn't know the d-details, but I remember b-both events were big news a-and a lot of people were very angry." Fukawa recalled.

Kuramoto simply nodded in confirmation.

"Once the information went public, the rest, more or less, took care of itself. After all, contrary to what a lot of the "elite" think, while most folks may not be the sharpest individuals, the majority of folks are not mentally handicapped. They _will_ see to it that such individuals are dealt with accordingly and if the courts of law won't do it, sooner or later, people will simply take matters into their own hands." Kuramoto continued.

"But yeah, that's pretty much why I was invited to attend Hope's Peak." Kuramoto finished.

Both Fujisaki and Fukawa simply stared at Kuramoto in surprise. They were shocked to hear about the depravity of such well known organizations, but they were even more shocked that not only Kuramoto managed to successfully figured all of this out, but even managed to make this information available to the public.

The rest of the time they spent together was of more lighter note. While there was the occasional scuffle with Fukawa, it's wasn't anything that deterred either Fujisaki or Kuramoto.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy Pool Area**

 **Time: 1500**

"C'mon, Maizono-chan, hurry up!" Asahina shouted.

"*PANT* Slow….down, Asahina-chan…" Maizono replied, out of breath.

The two girls were currently in the pool swimming. Against Maizono's wishes, Asahina, more or less, dragged her and Kuwata to the pool to help relieve stress via swimming. Naegi had spotted the three of them and asked to join them. Both he and Kuwata were sitting at the edge of pool, watching the two girls go at it.

"I...don't...get it." Maizono said.

"Huh? Get what?" Asahina said.

"How...do you keep going? I mean two people died yesterday." Maizono said solemnly.

"Yeah...I know. It...still hurts, but I can't stay depressed forever. I know Sakura-chan wouldn't want that. Plus, Kuramoto-kun setting up the funeral and talking to Oowada-kun helped out." Asahina replied.

"..."

" _Even still, I did end up trying to kill Naegi-kun."_

"How long do you plan on keeping yourself down? I get that what you did was bad, but the majority of folks saw you worth a second chance, so I think you need to see yourself like that, too." Asahina said.

"Ok..I'll try." Maizono said, trying to smile.

"So…" Kuwata said, giving Naegi a nudge. "You like what you see, Naegi-kun?"

"W-What are you talking about, Kuwata-kun?" Naegi said with a red face.

"Relax, I'm just teasing you." Kuwata responded with a grin. "But you have been staring at them for quite some time, is there something troubling you?"

"Well..." Naegi solemnly replied. "How exactly are they doing?"

"I'm not sure about Asahina-san, but Maizono-chan seems to be doing okay. Still a bit shaken up, but a major improvement from yesterday."

"I'm just worried about those two. Out of everyone here, they were the ones who took yesterday's events the hardest more than anyone else."

"If anything, I should be asking you that." Kuwata replied. "I mean, you nearly died."

"I'm alright. Kuramoto-kun seemed to know what he was doing and I can now move on my own."

"Well, just don't push yourself too hard. "

"Hey! How long do you guys plan to take a breather!?" Asahina shouted.

The two of them simply nodded to one another before jumping back into the pool.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy Kuramoto's Room**

 **Time: 0100**

" _Ok, by now, if the Mastermind is just one person, he or she is probably asleep by now. Now would be the best time to head out and investigate the hidden room."_

After parting ways with Fujisaki and Fukawa, Kuramoto decided to do his task of cleaning the kitchen. The details of the Chores app went over what to clean and the materials and instructions needed to do them. As long as it was done by the morning announcement, there wouldn't be any problems. Kuramoto decided to head back into his room until night time had passed which takes us to now.

Kuramoto grabbed a candle from his room and decided to head out. Upon heading out, he nearly immediately bumped into Oowada and Kirigiri.

"Bro? What are you doing up so late?" Oowada said.

"There's something that I have to check out. And before you ask, no it cannot wait until the morning. Now's probably the only chance I'll get." Kuramoto quickly stated.

Oowada was about to protest, but Kirigiri stepped in.

"Let him go, Oowada-kun. The only person still up is Togami-kun and he's in no position to hurt him. Besides, whatever he plans to check out could be a means of leaving the school."

Oowada decided to go ahead and drop the matter after hearing Kirigiri's words.

"Alright, just be careful."

"I will."

Kuramoto headed immediately towards the second floor bathroom.

Luckily, it looked like the room was untouched. Unfortunately, none of the books didn't seem to contain anything of value that could explain what was going on within this place. However, there were two sheets of paper that were found that had something worth of interest.

* * *

 _It took a long time, but I finally managed to make it work. By disrupting a person's neurological pathways, I managed to successfully remove one's memories. With this, I just might be able to both stop the school from getting suspicious of her and I'll be able to stop her plans all at once. I will need to do more research in order to potentially make the process flawless and a more permanent nature. For now, all I can do is give her regular treatments and continue my work. Best case scenario, she doesn't suspect anything and I'll be able to keep her like this permanently._

* * *

Kuramoto stood there for a second in awe. He just found a piece of evidence that suggests that their captor just might be able to actually manually induce memory loss.

" _I don't recognize this person's handwriting. But, this is evidence of the idea that our memories were forcibly removed. This also makes sense considering that memories are ultimately a cluster of neurons that are set to fire in a specific sequence. Whoever wrote this seems to have a found a way to disrupt the neurological process that would allow a person to recall one's memories. Based on the wording, it looks like the procedure may be similar to a jamming device. If the neurological process could be interrupted or disrupted, a person would have no means of being able to recall the event. Of course, the issue is that I have no idea on what the procedure is or how to reverse such a process and even if I did, I don't have the medical knowledge or training to safely do so."_

Kuramoto decided to pocket this note and take a look at the second note that he found.

* * *

 _10 Apr 2010 9:30 pm_

 _I knew something about her was amiss. Yochi came back earlier today with the requested information. She has insane analytical prowess that borderlines superhuman capabilities. In addition to that, while it's speculation for now, she also seems to have a major obsession for despair. Regardless, I won't be able to make any moves just yet. With her popularity of being the SHSL Fashionista and her ability to manipulate others, if I going to have any hope of stopping whatever plans she might have, I'll need concrete evidence that she is, without a doubt, up to no good. Until then, I'll need to keep a sharp eye on her and not let my guard down with her, not even for an instant._

* * *

" _This is another note of mine. The handwriting is mine plus it mentions Yochi. I must have made a request to have him dig up any and all information on a suspicious person. It's very annoying that the name isn't mentioned here. This does add credence to the idea that I knew who the Mastermind was before all of this happened and to the fact that I was on their tail. Since this person seems to be obsessed with despair just like our captor, then it can be safely assumed that the person mentioned here and the mastermind here are one and the same. In that case, I learned two things about them. One, whoever this is has ridiculous analytical skills and should be not be taken lightly and two this person is female."_

Kuramoto finally decided to pocket the second note and inspect the machine parts that were in the box from last time. A lot of the machine parts looked like they were simply spare parts, but they were some parts that looked like they could either be parts of the e-handbook or maybe something that could be used as a type of input device.

" _Hmm….I think I may have an idea as to what to do with these."_

Kuramoto wasted no time and immediately got to work with the machine parts.

 **Time: 0200**

Kuramoto was now making his way downstairs and heading back to his room. He made a simple nod gesture towards Oowada and Kirigiri before going back to his room and calling it a night.

* * *

 _Day 6 after imprisonment_

 _2:10 AM_

 _Important Points_

 _After surviving the class trial, we got access to the second floor which contains a pool, library and an archive._

 _I managed to recover most of my memories prior to entering Hope's Peak._

 _I found a means of communicating secretly with Kirigiri and I am expecting something from her soon._

 _I spoke to Fujisaki and we will be meeting together at the second floor locker rooms tomorrow._

 _I discovered a secret room within the second floor bathroom that contained some notes and machine parts._

 _Observations/Details_

 _The archive contained several cold case files (including one for Genocider Syo) as well as other dangerous knowledge documents._

 _None of my memories prior to Hope's Peak seem to have any link with what's happening right now._

 _I figured out that Fujisaki is very likely to be crossdressing. Tomorrow I will be confirming whether or not this is true._

 _The notes that I found confirmed that someone did discover a means of neurologically removing memories. It also revealed that I was indeed pursuing someone similar to our captor._

 _If the woman mentioned in the note is our captor, I will need to exercise the utmost caution from henceforth and always keep in the back of my mind that any and all things could either be a trap or a part of a Xanatos Gambit._

* * *

 **Author Notes: That's it for the this part. I was hoping to make a little more progress with the plot and show a few more things with Kuramoto, but I did want to take some more time to develop some of the other characters and Kuramoto's effect on them first and I did want to get this part out sooner rather than later. I shall see you guys on the next part. Another Author out!**


	14. Arc 2 Part 3: Guy's Day with Kuramoto

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Notes: I don't really have anything to say this time other than thanks for tuning in whether you'd be a follower, reviewer or otherwise. Enjoy the new part.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer: Yep, a little callback to Ultra Despair Girls. I was honestly not sure what to do with Fukawa, but after taking a closer look at Fukawa's character and her reasoning for why she falls for Togami, I figured that her falling for Kuramoto really wasn't that out of character for her and decided to roll with it.**

 **Tsunashi777: This chapter will introduce the motive although as I have mentioned before, the motives won't always be the same.**

 **LazyWriterDude: Yes, the plot thickens. I was hoping to get a little more out of that chapter, but meh, not much I can do about it now. He did already pull that off once with Monokuma when he asked for the specifics of the rules on the night of the two murder attempts. Something to think about in regards to your question.**

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy Cafeteria**

 **Time: 0700**

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

" _ **Ahem, this is a school announcement. Goooood mooorning, everyone! It is now 7AM.! Nighttime is now over! Get ready to greet another beaaauutiful day!"**_

Remembering what Kuramoto had told him yesterday, Naegi wasted no time on heading straight to the cafeteria as soon as the announcement played.

By the time he got there, breakfast was already beginning to be made.

"Ah, there you are, Naegi-kun. I was wondering when you were going to show up." Kuramoto said as he was working on some french toast.

"Huh? Kuramoto-kun? How did you get here?"

"Have you forgotten already? I took kitchen cleaning from the Chores list. As long as I continue to take kitchen cleaning, I will always have unrestricted access to the cafeteria. So, I just showed up a bit early and got started. Now then, I could use your help with getting some other food made."

" _That does remind me, I do need to jot down the names of everyone that was doing what. I get the impression that that information will come in handy."_

The rest of the class began to follow within the half hour. Now, only Togami and Ishimaru were missing, the latter was attempting to get the former out of his room.

"Yamada-san, would you be so kind as to make me a cup of tea. Royal milk, if you please." Celes asks out of the blue."

"Huh? W-Why me?"

"You bear the same plump form as the master of the café I used to frequent. Do be quick about it please, I'm parched."

A few minutes later, Yamada returns carry a tray in his hands.

" _Oh boy."_ Kuramoto thinks.

"I'll be right back." Kuramoto said quickly, returning to the kitchen, leaving a small look of confusion on some of his classmates..

" _If the time I have spent with Celes-san as told me anything, Yamada-san probably made the tea incorrectly."_

 ***SMASH***

" _Yep, that's what I thought. Considering her high class tastes, that's pretty much what I expected to happen. I honestly don't know why she would ask Yamada of all people to make high class tea in the first place. Especially when you have a few people who have decent culinary talent. Oh well, let's just hope I can get this to her before…"_

"Shut yer fuckin' trap and go make me my goddamn tea, Porky!"

"T _oo late for that."_

"Eeeeeeep. Y-yes! Porky at your service! Bringing your tea riiight awaaay!" Yamada yells, bypassing Kuramoto.

"Ehehe. It's amazing how a little intimidation can go." Ludenberg says, leaving the majority of the people speechless.

"You know, you could have asked someone who is more versed in making tea if royal tea is what you wanted." Kuramoto said, handing her the royal tea. "Asking an otaku who has zero experience in the culinary arts to make high class tea is a terrible decision."

"Oh?" Celes said, surprised. "Aren't we the perfect butler, Kuramoto-kun."

Kuramoto stood there for a second before replying.

"You're trying to discern my usefulness in that occupation right now, aren't you?"

Celes just simply giggles at the comment.

"You're a fast learner, Kuramoto-kun."

Before Kuramoto could comment further, Ishimaru came storming through the cafeteria door.

"Classmates! We have a problem! Togami-san is not coming out of his room, despite ringing his doorbell plenty of times! What if...something happened to him?"

"M-Maybe we should split up and look for him?" Naegi suggests.

"You guys can do whatever you want. I'm not going to waste my time looking for him." Kuramoto firmly states, catching everyone off guard.

"What!? Why not?" Ishimaru asks.

"If he's still alive, then he's actively avoiding us. The scion probably regards most of us, at best, being an afterthought in the back of his mind. If he's not, well, it's not we can do anything about it now and it's not like he will be missed anyway. We might as well make the most this morning's breakfast before we will have to deal with another class trial."

"That's irresponsible to hold a fellow student with such disregard, especially after your promise to Oogami-san that you would look after everyone!" Ishimaru attempted to refute.

"Someone needs to learn to pay better attention. What I said was…" Kuramoto countered.

 **Flashback**

"You have a heart of gold. Even if you don't believe it yourself. I want to look after Asahina and the rest of the students." Oogami said, given him a small smile.

"I understand." Kuramoto replied with determination in his eyes. "I will do everything within reason to look after everyone here."

 **End Flashback**

"In other words, I would do all that I can that would be reasonable to look after everyone here. As far as I'm concerned, reasonable doesn't include pursuing an individual who has gone out of their way to consistently burn bridges and create animosity towards one another."

"Furthermore, you claim that I'm the irresponsible one. That I'm the one that's in the wrong. In that case, answer me this, not just you Ishimaru-san, but everyone here. Who here would be upset if Togami was found to be dead? I'm not referring to the fact that someone died, but him specifically."

Silence filled the room as no one was willing to answer that question, even Ishimaru was stunned into silence, knowing that he too, really wouldn't mind if Togami was gone.

"That's what I thought. The next time you plan on refuting me for my ethics, I suggest you go look at a mirror first." Kuramoto rebuked, annoyed. "Regardless, my stance remains the same. He can fend for himself."

"I agree with Kuramoto-kun." Asahina said, fuming, surprising everyone. "After what he did at Sakura-chan's funeral, I see no reason as to why we should care for such a callous person."

"Chick's right." Oowada agreed. "That bastard's been nothin' but trouble ever since we got here. Why we should be concerned about him?"

"While we are on the subject, I have been curious about this for a while." Celes spoke up. "What is your beef with Togami-san? Judging from you actions ever since the first day, you seem to really have it out for him. More so than anyone else here."

"Now that you mentioned it, I have noticed it too." Naegi added. "Every since you interacted with him, you have seemed to look at him, at best with indifference, at worst, nothing short of absolute disgust."

"Looking back on things, Togami-san is really the only person you have shown total animosity towards." Ikusaba commented.

The others chimed in as well, both amongst themselves and towards Kuramoto. The underlying message was clear. They wanted to know as to why he held such hatred towards him.

"Since you all seem to be curious and we have the luxury of time, I suppose I can explain things." Kuramoto began to speak. "While I do have my fair share to resentment towards most of what society calls the "elite", it's not for the reasons that most people think. I could care less as to how much money Togami has or how many connections he has."

"The true reason why I cannot stand him, more so than anything else, is the fact that he, along with most of his kind, are colossal failures as leaders."

The unexpected answer he gave, understandably, was replied with a ton of looks of confusion.

"He claims to be the exemplar of human beings. The best of the best. The peak of humanity. Yet, he does nothing to deserve being called as such. He claims to be that of a king, a god even. All the while, he nor any member of his family is neither a gift or a blessing to anyone other than themselves. Tell me, do any of you know the true reason as to why many of the leaders and many of gods of ancient times were so heavily revered?"

Taking the followed silence as a 'no', Kuramoto carried on, his passion growing with every word he spoke..

"The major reason why they were all so heavily revered is ultimately because of what they contributed to the domain they rule. They were praised because of how they would look after their subjects and regard them with dignity and respect. As opposed to now where many so "leaders" would sell them out in the blink of an eye if they have something to gain for it."

"Naturally, as all of you have witnessed during our stay here, Togami is as far away from being the ideal leader that I have described as the North is to the South. From him thumbing his nose at everyone, to his callous attitude towards emotions."

"Honestly, I could go on for hours for why I have a problem with him along the rest of his kind. From his heavily over-inflated ego, to the many atrocious acts his family has been a part of, to being the major reason why so many areas of the Earth is filled with so much pollution, to making it extremely difficult for others to make ends meet by not only making money a necessity, but also hoarding it and make it significantly harder for others to accumulate wealth, to severely underestimating the everyday folk. I could go on, but I trust this is enough for most of you to get the point."

"A most intriguing thought process." Celes commented. "But what exactly do you mean by severely underestimating the everyday folk?"

"It's quite simple." Kuramoto answered. "While it's true that those who are prodigies and geniuses that contribute to their societies should be acknowledged and respected, the everyday person has repeatedly proven time and time again that they have their own important role to play in civilizations. After all, it wasn't the pharaohs or the priest and priestesses that put down the blocks of the pyramids, but it was instead the common folks that did. In the US, back during the times of the British occupation, while it's founding fathers were the ones who lead the rebels and laid the foundations of the new country, none of that would have possible if the thousands of people hadn't taken up arms and decided to fight alongside them. Even my own works prove this. While I did bring forth organized criminals to the light, it wouldn't have meant anything if nobody acted upon it. In other words, it was ultimately because individuals stood upon and demanded that these people be judged for their crimes that the organizations fell."

Most of the group were quite surprised by Kuramoto's answer. Everyone present had some level of sentiment towards what Kuramoto had said and explained to them. The more introspective and observant people however, were more surprised by the maturity of Kuramoto answer. To them, it was truly beginning to dawn on them as to why Kuramoto was known as the Ultimate Mastermind. He was much more than simply a scholar. He also held many attributes of a profound leader. From the charisma he has displayed, to the immense intelligence he had, the willingness to listen, the heavy amount of wisdom he has revealed. To see him in his element like this, it truly was a sight to behold.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy Library**

 **Time: 0745**

Sitting alone in the library, perusing on the cold case files was Togami. If anyone were to have talked in asking him what he was doing, he would have said something along the lines of the cases being fascinating for him to read. However, the truth was that he was trying to distract himself. Both from the pain from his broken leg and from the one who caused his leg to be broken.

" _Why can't I get my mind away from him!? No matter how much I try to take my mind off him, he always just continues to pop up one way or another. It's really ticking me off!"_

Togami tried to stand up to get away from the table for a bit, only to end up incorrectly distributing his weight.

"AGH!"

He crashed into the ground immediately after putting too much pressure onto his broken leg. With a lot of struggling and a lot of pain later, he managed to place himself on the back of the wall.

" _Damn him! Ever since I woke up to this confounded school, he has been nothing but trouble for me! First he's been verbally spitting in my face since day one, then he has managed and now he's injured me. Me! I'm a Togami, the apex of the human species! How could someone as low as him hurt me!?"_

Togami was fuming, he was pissed. Pissed that someone he had never heard of until recent events was effectively punching holes into him. Into his pride and his body. Even worse, unlike the pompadour ape, Kuramoto was smart. Enough to that, to Togami's reluctance, he had to admit his intellect could possibly match his.

" _To make matters worse, due to that little stunt he pulled, now it's unlikely that others will be willing to listen to me. Even that stalker has had enough."_

No matter which way we went, to Togami, all the problems he was now dealing with came back full circle to his current enemy, Kuramoto. Which only added to his cycle of fury.

" _He shouldn't be able to touch me! Someone like him shouldn't be affecting me like this. And yet… And yet…."_

Togami shuddered just remembering what had happened. The look he got on Kuramoto's 's eyes. It was pure hatred. Total, unrestrained hatred. He had only known of stories of people who could affect others like that with just simply a stare. The only people has known that could pull something like that off are killers. Cold-blooded killers.

" _I don't know who he truly is or how he managed to get where is at, but I will find out and I swear on my family's name that he will pay!"_

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy 1st Floor Hallway**

 **Time: 0800**

Everyone had went their own separate ways after breakfast. In the end, Ishimaru went alone to see if could find Togami to check if he was alive or not. He managed to find him in the library and went back immediately to the cafeteria to let everyone know about it.

Kuramoto was now taking a bit of a stroll, jotting down the names of the individuals who did what and getting his note for Kirigiri to let her know of his previous nights discoveries ready.

"There you are, Bro. I was looking for you."

Kuramoto turned around to find Oowada was approaching him.

"Hey there, Oowada-kun. I'm surprised you are still up."

"Yeah, I figured I might as well try and stay up for as long as I can. Wouldn't want to wake up in the dead of night.

"Puttin' that aside, I was hopin' to hang with you for a bit."

"Alright, sure. What do you want to do?"

"How bout we hit the locker room and get a workout in? It's been a bit and I'd rather stay in shape while here."

"Ok. Lead the way."

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy 2nd Floor Locker Room**

 **Time: 0810**

Both Kuramoto and Oowada were now started to remove their upper, loose clothing in order to avoid having them drenched in sweat.

"Whoa." Oowada said, looking at Kuramoto.

With his sweater now removed, Kuramoto's 's muscles were laid bare for all to see. Despite being fairly short for a guy, he looked pretty buff. Granted, he wasn't quite as big as Oowada and was a good distance from the aesthetics of a bodybuilder, but it was still very clear he was in excellent physical condition.

"Hm?" Kuramoto said, looking at Oowada. He quickly realized that Oowada was staring at him.

"Oh. Right. I guess you wouldn't have expected that."

"Sheesh. First, yer really smart, then you can cook, just recently you showed that yer some kind of philosopher and now yer athletic as well? Just how many fricking talents do you have!?" Oowada said with a tad bit of envy.

"More than you realize." Kuramoto answered as he started to do pull ups. "But that's the result of me both investing a lot of time as well as being very efficient with my time. Versatility is, after all, what separates me from many other individuals that are like me."

"I guess. It's just that I've never heard of someone who can do so much." Oowada said as he picked up some dumbbells and began curling them.

"Not many can. It's takes a lot of devotion to even get half of the knowledge and skill base that I have. By the way, Oowada-kun. I've been wondering, what's everyday life for you and your gang?"

"Honestly, it's a bit of mash up between fun and hard work. On one had, it's a lot of fun getting to be around my crew and we have a blast from riding, playin' cards, brawling and doing other activities. On the other hand, it's quite tough. Keepin' everyone in line, organizing events, the occasional scuffle with the cops."

"Sounds exciting." Kuramoto said, beginning some sit ups.

"Funny, I wasn't expectin an answer like that. Comin from a cop." Oowada said, a bit surprised.

"Well, I was more of an investigator over a cop despite being trained under them and while afterwards I did do the occasional case for them, I did go on my own way."

"Figures as much. That might explain why yer much less of an asshat than Ishimaru-kun."

"Anyways, what do you ride?" Oowada asked, changing the subject.

"Ride? Oh right, motorcycles. Sadly, I do not currently own one. My work has me constantly on the move and even if I wasn't, my current residence that I call home has everything pretty closeby. Even if I did own one, it'd probably end up sitting in a parking lot or garage."

"That's a shame." Oowada said solemnly.

"I know!" Oowada exclaimed.. "When we get outta here, I'll introduce you to a few and we can ride together."

"As long as you don't end up picking fights with folks then sure, I can see about arranging some time to do that." Kuramoto answered.

"C'mon, you do really think that I would go about doin' that kind of stuff?"

Kuramoto just gave him a glance that said 'Do you really want me to answer that?'.

"Ok, fine, you got me. But most of fights I get into, I'm usually defendin' myself and I don't plan on backing down from them."

"As long as you make sure that you don't throw the first punch, then that's fine by me."

It was then that a splash sound was just audible for the two of them to here.

"Sounds like Asahina-san is at it once more." Kuramoto stated.

"..."

A second splash was made and after a few moments, it sounded like there was a conversation going with two individuals.

"I can only just hear it, but I think that Ikusaba chick is with her." Oowada replied. "Shall we grab some swim gear and meet up with 'em?"

"Oh? Could it be that Asahina-san is a love interest?" Kuramoto said in a teasing manner.

"The hell you sayin!?" Oowada replied, his face now red with both anger and embarrassment. "Besides, I doubt she'd even like me in the first place, with me bein a gang leader and all of that."

"I wouldn't be so quick to throw in the towel." Kuramoto went on. "I have no doubt she did appreciate you looking out for her in her time of need. Plus, she is quite the energetic person that could easily keep up with you. Besides, you two would make quite the couple."

Oowada just stared down for a bit, putting his hand behind his head before responding.

"Well, what about you and Ikusaba-chan? It's pretty clear that chick has some interest in you considering she's a lot more talkative when you or Naegi-kun is around."

" _I see what you're doing, Oowada-kun. I'm not that easy to fluster."_

"Hmmm….I'd consider it." Kuramoto contemplated. "I would like to get to know her a little bit better before making any moves."

"Anyways, shall we?"

About five minutes later…

"Thanks for joining me, Ikusaba-chan!" Asahina said, happily.

"It's no problem. I figured you'd need a break from watching over Maizono-san and besides, I could use the exercise myself." Ikusaba answered.

"Yeah. You're surprising fast, you actually took me by surprise." Asahina said.

"Swimming with my gear at hand was a part of my training in Fenrir. From swimming to marching and a ton of exercises, I developed quite a bit of speed and endurance, whether it'd be on ground or in water." Ikusaba explained.

The door to from the locker rooms opened and when both Asahina and Ikusaba turned around, both of them were almost immediately red-faced.

Both Oowada and Kuramoto had come out of the locker rooms and to them, they were both looking pretty hot. While they knew that they were both pretty tough, actually seeing for themselves was a first for both of them. It was quite the feast for their eyes.

"Hey there! Mind if we tag along?" Kuramoto shouted out, snapping both of them out of their daze.

"Yeah, the water's great!" Asahina replied.

With that, the two of them dove in and the both spend the rest of their time swimming with the two girls.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy 2nd Floor Locker Room**

 **Time: 1955**

After parting ways with Oowada, speaking with Fukawa for a time who developed a habit of following Kuramoto around, taking care of the kitchen and verifying with Asahina that the pool area and locker rooms were good to go, it was nearly time to meet with Fujisaki.

"Hello there, Kuramoto-kun."

Kuramoto turned to find that Fujisaki has just arrived.

"Evening, Fujisaki-san. Well, now that you have arrived, let's not waste any time." Kuramoto said as he grabbed onto Fujisaki's hand and began to pull him towards the guy's locker room.

"Huh? Wah! Wait! Wait, Kuramoto-kun!" Fujisaki cried out, desperately trying to pull away from him. Unfortunately for Fujisaki, Kuramoto grip was quite strong and he wouldn't be letting until they were both inside the locker room.

"Relax, Fujisaki-san. Nothing bad will happen. I can promise you that." Kuramoto said as he swiped his e-handbook and brought himself and Fujisaki inside the locker room.

" _Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. He knows. He definitely now knows. What do I do? What do I do?"_

Fujisaki was in a state of panic. The secret he had kept for so long. The shell that he had built up for years. It was completely rendered void all in the span of a few seconds. He was expecting the jeers, the taunts, the bullying, anything except for the next words that came from Kuramoto.

"Well then, shall we get started?"

Fujisaki's eyes opened for the first time ever since he stepped into the locker room. Kuramoto was still there, unfazed by the information that should be new to him.

"Huh? W-What?" Fujisaki said, confused. He didn't get it. He was certain Kuramoto knew for sure, but then why was he avoiding the subject like it's no big deal to him.

"What? I did say we'd test your capabilities today, didn't I? So, let's get started." Kuramoto said.

"B-But, I-I-I'm" Fujisaki stuttered out.

"A guy." Kuramoto finished. "Yeah, I know. I've known since yesterday."

Fujisaki just stared wide-eyed at Kuramoto as he blurted that out like it was the most natural thing to say.

"Huh? H-How?"

"Truthfully, I did notice something was amiss about you ever since we first met. But I couldn't quite pinpoint it. However, after getting to spend a bit of time with you, that's when I began to notice the subtle differences."

"The first thing that I noticed was your hands, if you look at yours as well as my own, you notice that they are quite rounded. Girls hands tend to be more slender. It's a bit tough to explain, but if you were to see the differences for yourself, you'd notice it right away."

Fujisaki instinctively put his hands close to face. He was surprised. His hands could that easily have given away his secret? Just like that?

"Of course, that alone wouldn't have been enough to prove whether or not you are male." Kuramoto continued. "Before she was killed, Oogami-san was a perfect example of being an exception to that due to her immense amount of training that she would do."

"The second major thing I noticed was your hips. A girls hips are naturally wider than a guys. While your choice of skirt made it harder to notice. However, the way you walk definitely makes the fact you have small hips much more noticeably. The wider hips that a girl has gives her a natural sway to her walk. With most people probably wouldn't have noticed that, the work that I do on an everyday basis requires me to be attentive to even the smallest details. "

Yet another factor that Fujisaki hadn't even considered. While he inadvertently learned about the sway girls have due to the hormones he had developed, he was more caught up on the embarrassment of staring rather than the act itself that never realized that that was a giveaway.

"Speaking of wider body parts, the next thing I noticed was your shoulders. While girls tend to have wider hips, guys have broader shoulders. Of course there are always exceptions to that as I have mentioned before, but it is a noticeable trait if a person is actively looking for it. Your smaller stature also make it tough to notice, but the city that I have been around for the past few years does have quite a few children of various ages and heights so I learned how to be able to tell from them."

Fujisaki nodded in confirmation, once more, looking at the body part that was pointed out. Thinking back on it, it made sense, considering a lot of the buffer guys he knew had pretty big chests. The broader shoulders would help support that.

"Lastly, the Adam's apple that I saw while you were eating was the final clue I needed to piece it all together. While yours is a bit smaller when compared to most and you having your head down all the time does make it even tougher to see, it is present and it can be spotted by those attentive enough to notice."

That's was the one aspect that Fujisaki knew for sure would be a giveaway. In addition to the complex that he had, that was the major reason why his head was down quite frequently.

"Now then, shall we get started? You said it yourself didn't you? You wanted to stronger, someone who doesn't cower away in fear when things go bad. Well then, I shall do what I can to help you, to help overcome your fears and insecurities until you are ready to reveal the truth." Kuramoto said with conviction.

If Kuramoto didn't know any better, he would say that Fujisaki almost had stars in his eyes as tears of joy began to fall from his face. He was so relieved that, not only Kuramoto was willing to keep his secret, but that he was also willing to help him overcome his fears.

"T-Thank you, Kuramoto-kun." Fujisaki cried out.

…

…

…

" _Why did I do this to myself?"_

"C'mon, Fujisaki-kun, you almost got it, just one more!"

"No. I can't do it anymore!"

"Don't say that, you're almost there!"

Fujisaki was currently on the floor trying to finish one last push up. His arms were very close to giving away to the fatigue.

"Just a few more centimeters." Kuramoto encouraged.

It took a few more seconds, but Fujisaki did managed to eventually managed to get back to the starting position.

"And there we go. That's 10 push ups."

With that Fujisaki immediately, collapsed to the floor, drenched in sweat.

"Ok, that will be enough for tonight. Now that I have an idea on where you stand physically, I can set up a training program for you. We shall continue this tomorrow night at the same time."

"Ok." Fujisaki said, getting back up. "I...shall...see you ...tomorrow."

With that done, the two of them quickly dried themselves off, changed back into their regular clothes and called it a night.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy 1st Floor Cafeteria**

 **Time: 0730**

The next morning, the people entering the cafeteria were greeted with laughter coming from both Ishimaru and Oowada.

"Gahaha! What're you talkin' about brah?"

"Hahaha! You're the one who should quit fooling around brohan!"

"W-What?" Naegi said, confused, having just from the kitchen helping out Kuramoto.

 _"What the heck happened between those two? While I didn't see them interact all that much, if I remember right, they usually clashed with one another."_ Kuramoto thought to himself as he finished cleaning up the kitchen.

"Yo Naegi!"

"You have my gratitude, Naegi, for serving as our witness last night!"

"So you're the one responsible for this mess…" Asahina sighs out.

"You have our eternal resentment." Ludenberg says with a glint of annoyance.

"B-But I…" Naegi stammers.

"You're wasting your breath friend…" Ishimaru says. "They could never understand the depth of two men's bonds. Unlike women, a man's friendship is thicker than blood!"

"Kuramoto-kun. You're a guy, can't you translate what those two are talking about?" Celes requests.

"Sorry, Celes-san, I'm in as much in the dark about what they are talking about as you are." Kuramoto replied.

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

" _ **Ahem, this is a school announcement. Emergency! Emergency! Everyone, please gather at the gym immediately!"**_

With everyone sighing, everyone proceeded to make their way towards the gym wary of the event that was to transpire.

"Sheez, took you guys long enough! Do you guys all have low blood sugar or something?" Monokuma said as they all entered the gym.

"Just hurry the hell up and tell us what you want!" Oowada demanded.

The rest of the class were pretty much telling Monokuma the same thing, except for Kuramoto. He instead was just glaring at the bear. He now knew that whoever was controller that demented bear was not to be underestimated, not even for an instant. So, he knew better than to not let his guard down.

"Oh?" Monokuma said, looking at Kuramoto. "I recognize that stare. Yes, I am all too familiar with that stare. Could it be that you learned something important about me?"

"D-Don't change the subject!" Naegi declared. "Why did you call us here?"

"Fine. Fine." Monokuma answered.

"You know, I've been feelin' kinda blue lately… My stitches are comin' loose, and I'm not as bright as I used to be… and I think I learned what the problem is… I'm bored out of my mind! I've watched paint drying shows that were more entertaining than this!"

"So, I've decided to shake things up and present you guys with a new motive!" Monokuma announced.

"A new motive?" Naegi replied, now nervous. "L-Like with those videos!?"

"Yippers! And this time around, the theme will be shameful and dark secrets." Monokuma said, gleefully.

"Let me guess, unless a murder is committed, our secrets will be revealed within a time limit." Togami said nonchalantly.

"Upupupupupupu! Did you really think it would be _that_ simple!?" Monokuma laughed out loud.

"Nope, I have something faaaaaaaarrrrr more interesting in mind. Everyone, go ahead and check your e-handbooks, there should be a new app for you guys."

As soon as he that, everyone's e-handbooks had beeped confirming Monokuma's words. The new app that appeared was simply named 'Motive'. Upon touching the app, people had looks of various emotions, from confusion to fear, to paleness. When Kuramoto had opened his, it displayed a single message.

 **This person's secret is that they are the Serial Killer known as Genocider Syo.**

"I know most of you are going to be confused as to what you are seeing, so let me explain." Monokuma began talking again. "All of your secrets have been completely and totally randomized. In other words, if you currently don't see your own secret, then someone else in this room currently has it."

The idea that someone else knew their secrets did not sit well with most of the people here and they went pale accordingly.

"By tomorrow's nighttime announcement, all of these secrets will made known to everyone! There are only two exceptions that I am willing to make. The first is that a murder occurs. That person's secret alone would be exempt from being revealed after the time limit ends. The other involves the app that I just gave you guys. Do you guys see that button that says 'Submit'?

Everyone looked at their e-handbooks for a brief moment to discover.

"Once you click that button, an announcement will be played, revealing both the secret's owner and who sent it. Once that's done, I will take the sender's secret off the list I have."

"Basically, we have three options. We can either wait for the time limit to expire and the secrets we have are revealed, a person commits murder to avoid having their secret told or a person exposes the secret they currently have to everyone in order to protect theirs." Kirigiri summarized.

"Bingo! You got it!"

"It's not like it matters!" Ishimaru objected. "All we have to do is just start sharing secrets and…"

"Ah!Ah!Ah! Not so fast!" Monokuma interrupted. "Revealing a secret means it's no longer a secret and in many interpretations, it destroys the secret entirely and according to the rules…"

"We can't destroy a motive or anything connected to a motive." Kuramoto finished.

"Yippers! Well, I'll let you guys figure out for yourselves as to how you want to handle this. Ciao!"

With the new motive presented, Monokuma vanished.

" _This is quite a different approach this time. The videos were to the point, feeding off the fear of our loved ones being in jeopardy. This one, it ultimately comes down to what a person is willing to do in order to keep a secret. People are silenced everyday in order to maintain a secret, but unlike the last motive, not only do we not know who has what, but we can't even warn them either. To make matters worse, if a person does decide to reveal someone else's secret, if it happens to be a dangerous one, it could easily paint a target on their back."_

"W-What should we do?" Fujisaki asks.

"Maybe we should-" Ishimaru started.

 ***DING DONG BONG BING***

 **This is an announcement from Celestia Ludenberg. Kyoko Kirigiri is currently suffering from amnesia.**

The announcement had played, revealing that Celes had chosen to reveal Kirigiri's secret. Everyone had turned towards Kirigiri internally questioning whether or not the announcement was true.

"Kirigiri-chan?" Asahina asked.

"I-Is it true?" Fujisaki asked.

"..."

"That's correct." Kirigiri finally answered. "When I first woke up, not only did I not know how I got here, I also forgot nearly everything. Family, friends, anything and everything that had to do with my past. The only thing that I could remember was my name. Everyone else, gone. Like it didn't even exist."

Most of the class were eying her with either concern, pity or caution, understanding what Kirigiri was going through. For them, it was tough enough going through this situation as it was, but have the entirety of your memories removed as well. That had to be rough.

"Hmph. Do you really expect anyone to buy into such an obvious farce." Togami stated. "A child could come up with a better story than that."

Quite a few of the more aggressive students looked like they were ready to pummel the scion into the gym floor, but before they could act, Kuramoto spoke up.

"I'm inclined to believe that Kirigiri-chan's condition is authentic." Kuramoto declared.

"Really?" Oowada said. "So, yer saying that chick really has amnesia?"

"Interesting." Celes said. "You seem rather confident with that answer. Care to share your reason?"

"My reasoning is actually quite simple." Kuramoto explained. "The reason why I'm so certain is that Kirigiri-chan wasn't the only one who was targeted. I was as well."

If the room wasn't surprised by the revelation that was revealed before, they were now.

"Y-You have amnesia as well?" Maizono asked.

"Granted, for unknown reasons, I have recovered most of my memories. But nevertheless, I did have amnesia to a level identical to Kirigiri-chan's."

"Hmmm...for two people to have amnesia like that. It's hard to write this off as a condinence." Yamada stated.

"I have to agree. And the chances of them both lying are quite low." Celes assessed.

"S-So, w-what now?" Fukawa asks.

"Well, unless there's something someone else has to say, I'd say we should get going." Kuwata says.

 ***DING DONG BONG BING***

 **This is an announcement from Byakuya Togami. Fumio Kuramoto was formerly a part of a secret child soldier program orchestrated by a foreign government.**

Everyone had frozen at that revelation. Even Kuramoto was shocked at the message that was revealed.

" _What!? That's not possible! Only a handful of people even have knowledge of that! Furthermore, the ones outside of myself wouldn't dare reveal that information to anyone lest they risk really upsetting the public!"_

"It's just as thought." Togami said triumphantly. "I knew you couldn't be trusted to begin with. You-"

Nobody cares what you have to say! So stop talking unless you want a bloody nose to go with that broken leg!" Asahina bellowed, shocking the class.

Togami couldn't help but flinch at that remark, he knew that Kuramoto had gaslighted the idea of violence being used against him. There's little reason to doubt that she would do it and he's no longer in any good condition to defend himself.

Everyone else came a little bit closer to Kuramoto, wanting to hear what he had to say.

"Regrettably, that bear speaks the truth. I don't have any idea as to how he managed to figure it out, but he's right."

"Hold on." Naegi said, realizing something. "When I was researching about you, the one thing that I noticed was that nobody was able to figure anything beyond five years ago, could it be that…"

"That's right. That's when I moved back into Japan, in order to start with a clean slate."

"S-So, it's t-true." Fukawa said.

"Yes. I am the lone survivor of the secret US Child Soldier Program."

* * *

 **Author Notes: And with that, one of the big revelations about Fumio Kuramoto has been revealed! On a random note, the secrets really were made random via doing two RNG bits to determine who would get what. The next chapter or two will delve into the finer details about his past and how he ended up to where is today from that. On another note, I do have a poll that is currently up on my profile page. I was thinking about writing up a short alternate story that has Kuramoto ultimately siding with Ultimate Despair. I figured after revealing the entirety of Kuramoto past, that would be the best time to write that scenario up. So, if you are interested, please go ahead and submit your votes. Thanks for tuning in and I will see you guys on the next part. Another Author out!**


	15. Arc 2 Part 4: A Masterminds' Past I

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Notes: Looking at the current poll results, it sounds like you guys do want to see the alternate story that I suggested at a later date. I'll probably begin working on it around the 5th to 6th chapter and get it posted just before or after Adaptation to Despair Academy's conclusion. Thanks for tuning everyone and enjoy the new part.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer: I'll admit it is a bit of an unconventional approach I decided to take and that does somewhat overlap with Mukuro's backstory, but I do plan to have it so that they are relatable, but have considerably different experiences.**

 **Tsunashi777: An astute observation. As for whether or not he manages to pull the group together or not, you'll just have to continue to tune in to find out :]**

 **LazyWriterDude: Yep. Kuramoto out to make the natural 20 saving throw once more. If Togami wasn't feeling the consequences before, he does now as you can see, more people are not only more hostile towards him, but others are much less likely to listen to him. As for the sauna thing, all it would take is for a Monokuma to waltz right in and everyone ends up getting axed (they can no longer destroy a motive as of Ch.1 part 4).**

 **cipher66: Glad you hear you like the interactions between Kirigiri and Kuramoto. I do try and update weekly and I will get a bit into the reactions as I continue to explain the backstory.**

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy's 1st Floor Gym**

 **Time: 0745**

"US Child Soldier Program?"

Most were shocked or confused about the bomb that was dropped about Kuramoto past.

"Before I continue, I'd say we head back to the cafeteria for now. This going to be a long story." Kuramoto suggested.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy's 1st Floor Cafeteria**

 **Time: 0750**

With coffee in hand, Kuramoto and the rest of the class were now settled in the cafeteria once again to continue their breakfast that was interrupted and to listen to Kuramoto story.

No one wasn't sure as to how to continue the topic that Kuramoto left off. Most didn't have any idea on how to even approach this subject since they didn't have any experiences with dealing with those who had to deal with war and conflict.

"Now that I have had some time to think about it. If Kuramoto-kun was indeed a child soldier, it would explain a few things about him that were unclear before." Celes said, breaking the room's ice.

"How do you mean?" Yamada asks.

"Well, back on the first day, Kuramoto-kun had mentioned to Fujisaki-san and I when we were first investigating the school together that the buildings wall were reinforced. We didn't mention it earlier mainly due to Ikusaba-san already covering it. But, if he was a soldier, it would explain how he knew about that." Celes explained.

"Oh yeah! That's right!" Asahina chimed in. "If he was a soldier, it would also explain how he did so well versus Sakura-chan!"

"Huh? Are you saying those two fought?" Oowada said, surprised.

"Yeah, the night before...well..you know...Kuramoto-kun and Sakura-chan had a sparring match. Kuramoto-kun did end up losing in the end, but he still went up against Sakura-chan for nearly a half hour."

Most of the guys in the room were staring wide-eyed at Kuramoto. They remembered all too well on how monstrous Sakura-chan was. The idea that the second shortest male in the class (third if you count Fujisaki) could hold their own against a behemoth like that was, to put it simply, astounding.

"Kuramoto-kun's history as a soldier would also cover how he has remained so calm while we have been here." Fujisaki added. "I can only imagine that constantly being in such a high stakes, high stress environment that requires you to make decisive, rational decisions on the fly builds up your ability to keep a clear head."

Kuramoto simply gave out a small smile as he heard the others piece together the information. "It seems quite a few of you are more observant and attentive than what I originally thought. My history does account for a lot of that, but my research and time I spent after I left the soldier life behind did help solidify these things as well. Of course, while me constantly being around stressful situations has helped me build a bit of a resistance to the expected responses of a stressful situation, it doesn't necessarily mean that I am straight up immune to it. I still have more than my fair share of worries and concerns, just like anyone else here. "

Sitting more towards the back of the group, Ikusaba was, uncharacteristically, in pretty deep thought.

" _This status as an ex-soldier would also explain how he obtained the reflexes to dodge my attempt to attack him. It would also explain on why he just shook off my attempt to hurt him as well and why he regards me as normal company and not as an oddity. But the one thing that's still a mystery to me is why was he affected so badly by Oogami-san's death. While many people do have problems in handling death, he seemed to be heavily affected by the notion that he was powerless to stop Oogami-san from dying."_

"I'm still not quite gettin' it, though." Oowada said. "For it being yer worst secret, you seem to be taking the idea of you being a kid soldier relatively well."

Kuramoto had changed to a more somber demeanor after hearing Oowada say that and everyone felt the room's ambience grow heavy.

"I guess...that topic couldn't have been avoided forever." Kuramoto finally said. "There are two reasons in particular as to why my history as a soldier is my darkest secret. The first, as I mentioned before, I was a part of a secret Child Soldier program conducted by the US Government. On the off chance you haven't figured it out already, my participation in that program was something I had no say in."

"The second reason is that my experiences as a soldiers brings up some….very painful memories."

"You don't have to talk about if it's too-" Naegi started.

"No, I refuse to allow my past to quietly eat away at me any longer and most of you guys deserve to know the truth about me." Kuramoto firmly said.

Kuramoto took a deep breath and finally started to tell his story.

"I guess we will have to go all the way back to the start. While I don't know the details about the program I personally was involved with, I do know that the idea of having super soldiers is one that's been the dream of most of the current ruling class for a long time. It was theorized that by selective breeding, the best genetics could be passed down by the generations and eventually created human beings that were absolutely phenomenal for martial work. The only surefire thing that I know about my family was that they were Japanese due a genetics test that i took. Unfortunately, that's all I do know about them since I was taken from my family members almost as soon as I was born."

"You mean...you don't even know who your family even is?" Asahina said, shocked.

"But didn't you say that you returned to Japan earlier?" Naegi asked.

"To be honest, it's more of guesswork than anything else, Naegi-kun." Kuramoto replied. "But yes, despite all of my efforts to find them, I have found nothing that could lead to an answer as to who they are."

"But we are getting sidetracked. I was brought into the program at a very early age. The only thing I could remember before being forced to participate in training was some strangers were helping out with ensuring that we could understand and speak."

"Surely there must be more than just that?" Yamada said.

Kuramoto shook his head. "The process of recollection only begins to kick in once a person reaches 3 years old. Even for me, those memories are very foggy. The soldier life was the only real thing that I can clearly remember. It started when I was first required to fight for my life back when I was 5."

 **Flashback**

Kuramoto found himself to be in a dimly lit room. He could hardly see what was inside it. All he had heard from the mysterious individuals that put him there was that they would be coming back to get him soon and to just wait. He had no idea who these people were, but since he has been around similar looking people before, he wasn't too worried. For the moment, he decided to check out the desk and chair that he could just make out. They didn't look anything too fancy, but it did have a mirror. Looking back at him was an small child that had slightly tan skin dark brown hair and green eyes. The rest of the room looked like your hotel room. Seeing as there wasn't much else within the room, Kuramoto decided to go ahead and sit on the bed until the individuals from before came to get him.

"It's time."

"Let's go."

The individuals arrived and began to escort him to his destination. All that Kuramoto could see was that there was one guy and one girl and they were both dressed in a black suit attire and had black sunglasses. He didn't see anything else of interest within the plain, white hallway he was walking in until he reached the end of the hallway that contained a single, silver door.

"Go in."

"Keep going straight ahead and you will be told what you need to do."

The room itself was nearly pitch black, Kuramoto continued to walk inside the room for a few minutes until multiple spotlights blared, revealing the room. The room itself was massive and contained several small arenas that you would expect out of a coliseum surrounded by fences. Just behind him, the gate entrance closed, trapping Kuramoto within the arena he himself was in.

"Good afternoon." A stern male voice came from a loudspeaker.

"You have all been gathered here today due to the fact that you all have potential to be the absolute best for what we need you for. Unfortunately, we only have some many resources to train only a few of you, so here's the deal. Across from each of you lies another person that will competing against you. Your task is simple: Make sure that your opponent does not leave the arena alive."

Most of the kids (Kuramoto included) were completely shocked at that remark. They had an idea on what the person was telling them to do, but they just couldn't accept it or understand why this person wanted them to do this.

"Within the arenas are several weapons that will be of use to help complete your task. If you attempt to leave the arena, the electrical fences surrounding the arena will activate and kill you. If you ever want to see your families again, complete this task."

Kuramoto was in a state of shock. He could hardly process anything that he heard. Whoever that announcer was actually wanted him to kill someone, the worst part was that he wouldn't be able to leave until he did exactly that.

But none of that mattered now. Not when the person across from him looked like she wasn't about to talk things out. The little girl looked to be of African origin. Dark skin, dark brown eyes and long black hair. She already picked up a small bat and was charging towards Kuramoto.

Terrified, he quickly got out of the way and only just managed to dodge out of the way of the girl's strike. Making primal screams, the girl continued to swing away at Kuramoto, only just avoiding hitting him with the bat. Kuramoto was doing all he could to avoid striking, he didn't want to get hurt, but he didn't have it in him to hurt her either.

"Just fall already! I have to see my family!" The girl cried out in desperation.

"Just wait, we can talk about this!" Kuramoto tried to reason.

But his cry fell on deaf ears. After a few more attempts, the bat connected on Kuramoto's left hip and he fell onto the ground. Once he landed on the floor, his right arm bumped into a knife that was there on the floor. Now injured, the girl on top of him ready to swing the bat towards his head and out of other options, Kuramoto did the only thing he could do at that point. He quickly grabbed the knife and just before she could land the deadly strike, he managed to pierce her heart. The girl almost immediately dropped the bat after the attack. She spasmed for a few moments before she stopped moving altogether.

Now covered in blood, Kuramoto quickly got the girl off of him and sat up. With the adrenaline within him and the immediate danger now gone, the ramifications of his actions consumed him. The guilt had he took a life had completely overtaken his mind as he was now bawling his eyes out. However, nobody was there to comfort him. After all, who would comfort someone that just murdered another human being? The only other people that were around was the individuals from earlier that were to now escort Kuramoto to his new living quarters.

 **End Flashback**

Everyone within the cafeteria was horrified at the story that Kuramoto told them. Even the more stoic classmates were visibly shocked. Most never thought someone would be so heartless as to force someone so young to go through so traumatizing at such a young age. Those that were more pragmatic were more surprised that they were face to face with someone that had gone through such an event. It was one thing to hear about cases of tragedy involving children via the news or the internet. It was something else entirely to hear the individual in person go over his story in detail. Not even Ikusaba was exempt from the surprise of his story. Unlike her, Kuramoto didn't have any form of history or a home to go back to. The life of a soldier was all he ever knew. If that wasn't enough, he didn't have a choice in the matter while Ikusaba signed up with Fenrir of her own volition.

Once more, the room was filled with silence. Nobody was really wasn't sure how to respond to something like this. How exactly are you supposed to react when someone tells you that when they were a kid, they were kidnapped by a foreign government and forced to kill someone or they themselves would die?

"Shit man, that's seriously fucked up that you had to go through that." Oowada finally spoke up.

"I couldn't agree more." Kuwata said.

"I knew that this would be a sensitive topic, but…I didn't expect it would as bad as this." Ikusaba said, solemnly.

"That's why I didn't want to bring this up earlier." Kuramoto said, his eyes glazing with sadness and pain. "It wasn't necessarily out of spitefulness or that I didn't want to tell you guys. But every time the topic comes up, I lose my grip on my emotions and more often than not, I end up as a mess."

"Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, I lost most of memories and I only just got back the ones involving my soldier life two days ago."

"Moving from where I left off," Kuramoto continued, pulling himself together. "There were about 20 of us that survived that ordeal and we were taken in. Pretty much after that, we were subjected to an almost unending amount of training. Whenever we weren't eating or sleeping, we were either drenched in sweat from taxing exercises or combat training or we were usually in classrooms, going over a large variety of topics. From marital history, to combat styles and techniques, to strategies and tactics."

"Ummm...I'm somewhat curious. Is this part of the reason why you got the SHSL Mastermind title?" Maizono asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"To an extent, yes, you could say that this was the start of it." Kuramoto answered. "I did struggle quite a bit of the strength fitness category and I was dangerously close to getting removed from the program multiple times. However, one the biggest advantages that I had over the others was my ability to put together strategies and tactics on the fly far faster than any of the other participants."

"Huh?" Kuwata said. "If you got removed by failing the fitness category, why didn't you just fail on purpose?

"A-Are you stupid or something!?" Fukawa stated angrily. "O-Obviously if it was that simple, h-he would have done that r-right from the start!"

"Sheez! What's your problem!? I just asked him a question." Kuwata retorted.

"Enough! Both of you!" Kuramoto shouted, silencing the two of them. "It's just like Fukawa-san said, it wasn't that simple. There's only one way that those who didn't meet the standards were dealt with. Execution."

"E-Execution!?" Naegi repeated, surprised, just like the most of the classmates were.

"Correct. We were told only once that the inability to pass our mental and physical tests would result in a forceful removal of the program. After all of the physical and mental tests were complete, everyone was lined up and those that failed were immediately killed on the spot. No debates, no discussions, no exceptions."

It was starting to become a bit much for a few folks. They just could not phantom why anyone was willingly putting children through such horrible events. Perhaps even more shocking was that Kuramoto was standing here, still mentally intact.

"H-How? How could you go through everything and still be ok?" Asahina asked, genuinely wanting to know.

"To be honest, even I'm not 100 percent sure as to how I still remain mentally sound. Many people around me did end of breaking. Not only from the things I just mentioned, but also that extreme methods were used in order to desensitize us to violence. From forcing us to watch through many scenes of torture to going through many authentic combat simulations. The majority of those that made it through the test just mentally collapsed. The stress building up too much to the point that it would manifest in pretty nasty ways." Kuramoto answered.

"I won't lie, there were many days that I wanted to give up. Many nights that were restless due to tormenting nightmares of the events that I was a part of. But to answer your question, I suppose the biggest deterrence from following suit was the four remaining teammates that I had since nearly the start of my training. Grizzly, Wolf, Ice and Rose."

"Those are code names, aren't they?" Ikusaba said, somewhat curious.

"Yes." Kuramoto confirmed. "We were just given numbers to identify one another so we really didn't have any names to go off of. So we decided to create our own. Grizzly was the most physically imposing of the entire bunch, Wolf was the fastest, Rose was the most optimistic and cheerful and Ice had the strongest mental fortitude and was pretty much the Ice Queen of the group.

"So...what about you, Bro?" Oowada asked. "You had a code name to go by too, didn't ya?"

"I did." Kuramto said. "I was referred to as Scratch."

"Scratch?" Oowada said, with the majority of the classmates following suit.

"Yes, Scratch. In my case, as in scratch paper. Since I was known for my intelligence and I understood that fact very quickly. Every opportunity that I got, I would spend reading a lot of books, jotting notes or do something to continue learning. Grizzly once nicknamed me Scratch once and it kinda just stuck ever since."

"But how did you manage to acquire books?" Kirigiri asked. "I find it hard to believe that the people who captured you would go through the trouble of just giving you reading materials."

"They didn't." Kuramoto explained. "While there were a handful of them that were given to us to study, most of them were actually smuggled by another person that was another close ally of mine."

"Another ally?" Fujisaki said.

Kuramoto nodded. "Yes, I never learned his full name, but he called himself Chad. He was the lead guy in charge of our weapons training. He most likely was just like myself and my teammates, forced to go through an immoral situation and have no say in the matter. I could tell right from the beginning that he was disgusted by the idea of having to train kids for combat, despite his best efforts to hide this fact. But anyways, he and friends of his would frequently smuggle things in or do other tasks to make our lives a little easier."

"It sounds like despite how bad things were, you still had some great friends. I honestly hope I can meet them someday." Asahina stated, happily.

Kuramoto went quiet as soon as those words left Asahina. In everyone's eyes, it looked like he froze up.

"Kuramoto-kun?" Naegi asked, worried.

Kuramoto was reliving an event, an event he all wished that he could forget, but no matter how much he tried, he just couldn't. Tears began to form in eyes until they finally started to drop. The front that he put on had finally be shattered.

"Kuramoto-kun!?" Ikusaba said, now both her and Naegi at his sides.

They just wouldn't stop, he tried to pull himself together, but the sheer anguish of the memory kept dragging him down.

Both Naegi and Ikusaba had grabbed onto Kuramoto's shoulders and stated in almost perfect unison.

"Kuramoto-kun, are you okay?"

It was enough for Kuramoto to get out of his internal anguish, he managed to pick himself back up with the help of his friends.

"I'm sorry, I lost control of my emotions." Kuramoto said.

"It's ok." Naegi said.

"You don't have to continue." Ikusaba said. "I know all to well that some stories can be extremely painful to talk about."

"I appreciate the concern, Makoto-kun and Mukuro-chan, but I can not let it go. I have to continue on, if for no other reason than for cathartic purposes." Kuramoto asserted.

"I'm sorry." Asahina said, now depressed. "I didn't know that something bad happened."

"It's alright." Kuramoto reassured.

"What exactly happened?" Ishimaru asked, now curious.

Kuramoto took a deep breath and said.

"It occurred about six years ago."

* * *

 **Author Notes: Yeah, I was hoping to make this part a little bit longer, but writer's block was hitting me quite a bit hard as of late. Hopefully this part was satisfactory. Anyways, thanks for tuning in and I will see you guys on the next part. Another Author signing off!**


	16. Arc 2 Part 5: A Mastermind's Past II

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Notes: I got nothing this time around other than thanks for those who decided to vote in the poll.**

 **Thanks for tuning in everyone and enjoy the new part.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer : I guess you can say that because it would be the perfect opportunity to go over Kuramoto's backstory, that's my motive for why the theme of secrets was kept the same for this chapter.**

* * *

 **Flashback**

 **Location: Unknown**

 **Time: May 3, 2004, 0800**

There was a briefing for another mission with the five of captured children today. The meeting room looked like your typical conference room only darker. The individual that greeted them was a person that was currently being displayed on the room's projector. It was the person that was leading the program that they were under and the same person that spoke to them on their first day. The only thing that the others could see on the screen itself was a silhouette.

"Good morning. I have a task for you five."

The screen showed a satellite overview of Cuba next to the silhouette.

"Our Intel has shown us that Castro has been stirring up some trouble as of late."

The satellite view zoomed in to reveal a military base that was within the confines of a jungle.

"Castro recently secured one of the recreational parks within Parque Nacional Caguanes and built a military base within this location. Normally such a thing wouldn't be an issue, but there has been whispers among the Cuban officers that quite a few of the new bases supply movements have contained large amounts of plutonium heading to the base. In other words, the materials needed to create nuclear weapons. Regrettably, whether or not they actually have plutonium, the other materials or the needed knowledge to actually create nukes remains to be known conclusively and that leads to what I want you guys to do. Infiltrate this base and bring back items that verifies that base's current capabilities of nuclear firepower."

"Yes, sir!" Scratch, Grizzly, Wolf, Ice and Rose all said simultaneously.

"Excellent, you will all be escorted to a plane in one hour from now and will be dropped off via parachute landing. Are there any other questions?"

All of them stayed silent.

"Good. Dismissed."

The five children got up from their seats and left the conference room.

The person on the other side that was giving them the brief had decided to light a cigar and have a bit of a smoke now that the brief has been accomplished. The guard in the black suit and tie with black sunglasses spoke up wanting confirmation on what was about to happen.

"Are you sure about this, sir?"

"I'm positive." The silhouette replied. "I have seen that look many times before." The silhouette said the next bit with a glint of madness. "It's the look of rebellion. They must be dealt with before we are unable to do so."

* * *

 **Location: Approaching Cuba**

 **Time: May 3, 2004, 1300**

The five soldiers were currently about two kilometers in the air as of now and were approaching their destination.

"Have you got a plan in mind Scratch, you know for our escape?" Grizzly asked.

"Well, thanks to the map of the place that I managed to get and the guard patrol times that Rose obtained, I have just have got a plan I'm working on. I need to have a few more things assured first, but I do have a plan in the works right now. It will take me a few more days, but I got something. I'll debrief you guys once everything is all set."

Normally, talking to about a plan to escape one's captors would generally be considered an absolutely terrible decision. But, it turns out that the pilot was another one of the few people that was actually supportive of their decision.

"I hope you guys success in your plans. If you guys need a lift of some kind, just send the word to Chad."

"Roger that and thanks." Rose said happily.

"Sow, what's the plan for getting into the base?" Ice asked.

"There's an old sewer system that has an entrance within jungle North to the base. It functions as an emergency exit that should get us inside without a whole lot of problems. After all, all we need to do is secure the information and split. Worse case scenario, there aren't a whole lot of fighters here yet and they do call for assistance, based on the map given, it will take them nearly an hour's worth of travel before they could get to the base."

"Perfect, so we don't have to be overly stingy about stealth this time." Grizzly said. "Good, I was getting tired to not being able to go upfront."

"Says the guy who can't stay quiet to save his life." Wolf jeered.

"Why you-"

"Do have to put both of you in a corner?" Ice declared.

Both of them gulped. In addition to being able to keep her cool, out of all of them, she was the most knowledgeable amount human anatomy. They have had the experience to know that despite being weaker, she was more than capable of dealing with them both by hitting them in specific areas of the body that would put both of them down in the blink of an eye. They shuddered just thinking about that.

"No, ma'am!" Both of them said.

"10 seconds to jump!" The pilot said, opening the plane's hatches.

"Alright team, it's go time!" Scratch said as he and rest of his teammates got prepared to sky dive their way out of the plane.

They had managed to get to land safely and regroup within the jungle territory.

"Alright team, looks like we landed in the right place." Scratch stated.

He took out a map of the location that he got and marked the current spot with a red pen and placed a red flag down on the forest floor.

"Let's split up and search this place for the entrance, keep your radios on and report if you find it. We'll meet back here in two hours if nobody comes up with anything." The others quickly nodded in agreement and dispersed.

About a half hour had passed and nobody had reported in anything just yet. Scratch had just finished the first section to search and was about to move on to the next area to look when he had heard a strange sound from above. He looked up and noticed that they were US planes just above him, one that would usually be used for bombing….

"GET OUT THE FOREST! WE GOT INCOMING AIR BOGEYS!" Scratch yelled out to the radio as he instantly turned and bolted his way out of the forest as fast as possible.

 **Flashback End**

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy Cafeteria**

 **Time: Present Day, 0830**

Everyone was still listening in as Kuramoto continued to tell his story. But when he got to the bit that explained what happened just after he and his friends had landed, he just stopped. Everyone had a hint of confusion as to why he just stopped midway. But before anyone could ask as to why he stopped, he began to sob once more. The more observant students and those who were familiar with death prior to coming to Hope's Peak pieced together what had happened while others were still in the dark.

"I...I can still remember." Kuramoto said through his cries. "I can still remember the sounds of their screams as the white phosphorus bombs came down on us."

Naegi, Ikusaba, Fujisaki, Kirigiri, Celes, Fukawa and even Togami all immediately displayed visible horror on their faces as those words came out of his mouth.

"Phosphorus bombs?" Asahina said, uncertain.

"It's a special type of incendiary bomb. It is similar to Napalm only perhaps downright nastier." Iksuaba replied gravely. "What make it particular brutal is that it can stick to the skin and the chemical will continue to be alight until the chemical is completely deprived of oxygen or it's totally consumed, making it impossible to remove practically. Even worse, if the burns weren't bad enough, once absorbed into the body via the chemical burns, it can easily cause major organs to shut down so even if you could remove it, you could still easily die from it. On top of _that,_ the smoke that white phosphorus emits can not only make it harder to detect where the flames will hit, but extended exposure to it can also lead to problematic side effects and possible death."

Everyone's faces went pale as Ikusaba explained the effects of white phosphorus. It sounded absolutely nightmarish. There was a pretty good reason as to why many think that dying by fire was perhaps one of the most painful ways to die. From what those who didn't know already could tell, it sounded like white phosphorus was the worst, if not, one of the worst ways to die by fire.

"To be honest, it was nothing short of a miracle that I managed to survive that." Kuramoto said, regaining enough composure to continue speaking. "I only just managed to avoid the fire. I was towards the edge of the jungle area and I can only presume that they were targeting the jungle specifically, so I was able to avoid most of the bombs by quickly leaving."

"But how did you manage to escape?" Celes asked. "I doubt that they just ended with the bombings."

"You're right, it turns out the entire mission was a trap from the start. Even if we somehow survived the bombs, the Cuban military was waiting for us ready to gun down anyone. But how I escaped ultimately was due to the other allies that I had."

 **Flashback**

"77, 123, 51, 1412, 287, 12, 4021, 144, 53, 87, 1911, 4132, 72, 213, 62, 301, 5417, 1111, 267."

This was the message that Scratch was picking up on the radio just shortly after the bombs had dropped. It had continued to repeat to numbers. While most would have never been able to guess what they mean, Scratch knew right away.

" _That's the code my teammates and I developed to pass messages to one another and to our allies! Let's see...USE_THE_SOS_NUMBERS. That's it! Our fallback broadcast signal!"_

Scratch made quick work on getting the radio to the correct signal and in a few minutes...

"Thank the gods you're okay! I thought you were done for!" Chad immediately greeted.

"Chad! Things have gone to hell, my teammates have died by bombs dropped by US bombers!" Scratch said, with anguish, desperation and fear.

"I know. I tried to warn you guys as soon as I heard about the plan, but I couldn't reach you guys in time." Chad replied sorrowfully. "Listen, I got a guy on standby near the shore with a boat out of here about 2 clicks from your position. Drop the radio and get over there ASAP."

"Ok." Scratch said with grief.

Scratch immediately dropped the radio and to made his way towards the rendezvous point.

Luckily, the bombing runs have stopped at this point and he didn't come across any signs of life until he reached his destination. He had managed to find the boat he needed to get on within 2 hours of traveling.

"You must be the one we are looking for?" The ship captain asked.

"Yes. I am." Scratch replied.

"Alright, I need you to come onto the deck below and we will be on our way."

Scratch simply nodded as he complied he followed the person down on the deck below.

"My apologies, but we cannot risk having you roam freely while on this vessel. For you own safety, we will have you placed inside the cargo in a deep uninterrupted sleep."

"Huh?"

It was then that Scratch felt a sting on his neck. It didn't take long for him to realize that he had been drugged and by the time he pieced it together, he had lost consciousness.

* * *

….

….

….

Scratch slowly awoke to find himself in a hospital bed. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. He sat up for a moment in order to shake the fatigue that he still felt.

" _I really feel out of it. I must have been out for a long time."_

Then, the door opened up to find that Chad was there with a big plate of food and a jug of water.

"You finally woke up." He said setting the plate and water down on the table next to Scratch. "I cannot emphasize enough as to how relieved I am to see that you are still alive."

Scratch said nothing. He just sat there with a somber look on his face.

"They really are gone, aren't they?" he simply said.

Chad took a deep breath before replying.

"Regrettably, their deaths were confirmed based on the radio chatter and messages that were coming back and forth between the Cuban soldiers and the US liaisons." Chad replied.

Scratch didn't know how to react. By all counts he should be sad, he should be mad or just something! But all he felt was emptiness. It was though all the means of being able to feel emotions died with his friends, his comrades, the only people he had left to relate to.

"With you still missing, they pretty much all the secret service forces that they could muster to find you. Fortunately, my allies had managed to make doubly sure that all possible means of being able to track you were removed, so you should be 100 percent safe here for the moment. The reason why I brought you here in particular is that we plan to ensure that you will not ever be found by them again. We plan to alter your identity as much as we possibly can whilst retaining your memories and abilities."

Scratch just simply took the food and quietly began to eat.

"Do what you need to do."

" _It's not like I have anything left to lose at this point."_

Chad just looked at Scratch with a look of sympathy as he turned around and left the room.

 **Flashback End**

"After he told me that, I spent the next nine months within care of a multitude of highly experienced specialist doctors that got to work on completely changing my physical appearance as much as possible whilst retaining my psychological profile and natural talents. From my slightly tan skin to pale white, to my eye colors, a lot of my DNA and even my fingerprints were altered. It took about half a year for everything to be done and an additional three months to get back to a decent physical condition to where I could be safely released." Kuramoto continued to explain.

"As soon as I was able to be discharged, Chad-san and I left immediately to head to Japan. After some conversations with some folks with connections to those involved in the citizenship process and confirmation of my Japanese genetics, I was allowed to stay as a full fledged citizen as Fumio Kuramoto. That was just over five years ago."

"That's roughly the same time that any and all traces of your existence is found by most." Naegi confirmed.

"What happened to Chad-san?" Asahina asked.

"I can't say for sure." Kuramoto answered. "The only thing that I know for certain is that for insurance, he told me that he, along with all individuals involved in my surgeries and escape, would have their memories of me completely erased.

"What!?" most of the class exclaimed.

"According to him, they didn't want to risk leaving a trail that could possibly lead my pursuers to find me and my new identity. I never heard from him or anyone else from the group ever since."

"Which makes it all the more surprising as to how the Mastermind found this out about you." Kirigiri stated.

"Agreed." Kuramoto replied. "The only ones who knew about my history as an ex child soldier, outside of the ones directly involved in it, was my teammates at the place I worked at. Even then, not only did I very specifically ask of them to keep that information to themselves, but additionally, I didn't give them the details about it, especially not the bits about it being involved in a government program."

"Either someone goofed or perhaps the Mastermind really didn't know about you being involved in the government and took a guess." Celes said with a hint of smugness.

"Maybe, but I'm positive that our Mastermind knew from the start. The fact that the secret specifically said that I was involved in a program orchestrated by a foreign government is proof of that." Kuramoto countered. "Call it intuition, but I'm certain that they used that secret in order to just taunt me. To show that they know a lot about me and just boast that they are far more knowledgeable and dangerous than what I originally thought." Kuramoto said with irritation in his voice.

"How do you do it?" Maizono asked. Everyone turned to face her wondering what she meant.

"Based on everything you have said and done so far, you give the impression that you wish to believe in others as much as possible. How do you do that despite everything that has happened to you?" she asked.

" _I see, coming from a background that is predatory, it's probably nothing short of unbelievable that I still turned out the way that I am despite going through trauma that would destroy most individuals."_

"Ah. I suppose that's a legitimate question." Kuramoto answered. "Most would indeed become pretty cynical after going through such an experience. Dropping their trust in others after losing everything due to a betrayal."

"To be honest, even after I recovery and adjusted to the new body, I was in a pretty dark place, mentally speaking, for quite some time. I hated the shitty hand of life that I was given. I was upset that the people responsible had, more or less, completely gotten away with their crimes. I was angry at the general populace who got it easy when compared to myself and most weren't even grateful for any of the things that I had lacked."

"Once again, it comes back full circle to the teammates that I had. More specifically, it was my boss, Kenjiro Hiroshi, that had gotten me to start changing my mindset. It started after I decided to reveal to him about what I went through."

 **Flashback**

 **Location: Eiichi City**

 **Time: 10 August 2005, 1200**

Silence was all that was occurring within the office as Kuramoto had finished his story. The two of them were currently alone as the others had dispersed to go grab lunch prior to this little meeting they had.

"That's pretty much the gist of it." Kuramoto concluded.

"I see. I had no idea that were holding this much of a burden." Hiroshi said, taking a sip of the hot chocolate he had on hand. "You have my sympathies."

"I do want your pity, Hiroshi-san." Kuramoto said with annoyance. "Or from anyone who doesn't understand for that matter."

"Then, what is that you do want?" Hiroshi asked with curiosity.

"I want back the friends that I lost! I want the ones responsible for doing all of this to have their heads on a pike! I want to wipe the smug smiles off those who have it easy, those that take the gifts they have for granted, assuming of course, they are not part of the problem!"

"..."

Hiroshi simply took another sip of his hot chocolate before responding.

"I've lost more than my fair share of peers and subordinates during my time as an officer and as a detective. I have also seen the looks of many people who have lost those close to them. So, I know that you are still grieving for the people that you have lost even if you are not willing to admit it."

Kuramoto just sat there, trying to figure out where Hiroshi was going with this.

"I'm not going to pretend that I understand how you feel because I do not. But I want to, and I'm positive the rest of your co workers want to as well. We won't be able to if you are not willing to at least try and interact with us."

"..."

"I understand perfectly for your desire for revenge. But I will say this. If you plan on dealing with the ones responsible, then at least make sure it's in a manner that you can go back to years later and be proud of. I'd hate to see someone with such a great amount of potential to throw their lives away for those who have already passed and while I cannot vouch for them, I'm sure your friends would want the same."

"..."

" _He's right. If I am going to get back at them, it will have to be in a manner that not only will work, but one that will also honor my lost comrades. And I think I just might know what will work. The conventional method that I have known for so long will definitely not work so a different approach to my enemies' destruction is needed. I'm going to need to find some information, allies and plenty of other resources."_

"I understand. I'll give it a shot if nothing else." Kuramoto finally answered. "And thank you. I think I figured out how exactly I plan to get back at them as well."

"Is that right?" Hiroshi asked.

"Yes. It will require a lot of time and resources to pull of. But I think I know the best way to ensure that my friends memories are respected."

 **Flashback End**

"Ever since that day, I decided to devote my life to learning the truth about the whys of life and make things known to the public. Ever since that day, I began to learn that overall much of the world's cruel nature. But more importantly, I also came to a conclusion as to the why behind it. As far as I can see, the world isn't cruel because that's the way humanity naturally is. It's because that have been running the world for past 2 millenniums have made insane efforts to ensure only those who have a merciless, predatory nature similar to themselves thrive in it. The major of human beings that do try and climb into power, whether it be to get themselves or their loved ones out of a bad situation or to attempt to overthrow the ruling class end up getting caught up in the mix and usually end up like them. After all, it takes nearly a herculean level of willpower and resolve to stand up against the ruling class as well as the masses that they currently puppeteering."

Maizono just simply stood in awe as Kuramoto had answered her question. It was surprising on how very different he had reacted when he discovered the truth behind the cruel nature of the world when compared to her. Instead of trying to get by like she did, he refused to go along with it and take matters into his own hands by exposing the truth behind matters.

"Anyways, that's pretty much covers the story behind my previous life as a soldier. Before we disperse, there is something that I would like to say."

"I don't know what everyone holds as far as secrets are concerned . But what I do know is that regardless of what they are as long as you are alive, there's always a chance to change things, to make things better. While some secrets may hold much greater consequences for being revealed more than others, as long as life goes on, it's always possible to rebuild. My story I would say is proof of that, hell, human history is proof of that. All I ask is to please keep this mind before any one of you decides to do anything drastic." Kuramoto spoke out.

* * *

 **Location: ?**

 **Time: Present Day, 0845**

A small smile appeared on the face of the person who was watching the live footage of the Killing School Life. He knew something was amiss ever since the start of that broadcast. It was way too convenient for that incident to occur right as soon as the last nail in the coffin was about to be hammered in. Nevertheless, he decided to go ahead and give his allies a quick chat. He setup his computer network and program and within the span of a few minutes, he got linked to his contacts.

"Well, what do you guys think? After hearing what was just said, can you guys states with confidence that that was the truth?"

"Of course it was, Yochi-kun! I knew something was wrong with that message everyone got right from the start!" Takara voice had come from the video chat.

"I'm glad that our trust in him wasn't misplaced." Tonomi had said.

"Well then, if you guys are completely certain of that." Yochi replied. "I may have an idea to help them out, but I will require some assistance from your guy's end in order to achieve that."

* * *

 **Author Notes: Shoutout to Tsunashi777 for the influence on the speech that Kuramoto made towards the end. I do think there are a few areas about the story so far that I think were cut a bit short mainly for the interest of moving the plot forward. I'll probably consider doing some short story or oneshots that help add some depth to those parts at a later date. On a different note, it's time for a shameless plug. I have started a RWBY fanfic called Nemesis, The Rogue Hunter that will ultimately revolve another OC that I made. If you interested, please check it out. Anyways, thanks for tuning in and I will see you guys on the next part. Another Author signing off!**


	17. Arc 2 Part 6: A Mastermind's Fallout

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Notes: I'M BACK, BITCHES! AND I BROUGHT CHAPTERS FOR EVERYBODY. Thank you for your patience and my apologies for the delay. But now that everything has finally been settled, I can get back to making fanfics. For those who have been following the story for a while, it's great to be with you again. For those just recently tuning in, thank you and welcome. To all, I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter.**

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy, Kuramoto's Room**

 **Time: 0900**

Kuramoto simply sighed as he laid on his bed. Despite being early in the day and having coffee, his storytelling took a lot out of him.

" _*Sigh* I have no idea as to how everyone will process the news about me. At the very least, I shouldn't have to worry about any isolated murder attempts in the future."_

As Kuramoto began to lose himself in his thoughts once more. He heard his doorbell ring. He got up and took a look to find that Kirigiri, Ikusaba and Naegi were all there. He opened the door and beckoned them to come in.

After getting all of them some tea he acquired supplies he found from the storage room one the day of its opening, they all sat down and he simply got straight to the point.

"What brings all of you here?"

"We just wanted to make sure that you were okay." Naegi said.

"It looks like we were right in checking up on you." Kirigiri added. "You look pretty out of it."

Kuramoto simply nodded. "Yeah, that story took a lot more out of me than what I originally thought."

"I was worried about you." Ikusaba simply said.

" _That's honestly surprising. Makoto-kun's and Mukuro-chan's reactions towards my true self aren't that surprising, but even Kirigiri-chan went out of her way to make sure I was okay? I'm touched."_

"Well thank you all for checking up on me." Kuramoto said with his iconic small, but very telling smile. "I'm alright. Like I said from the beginning, a lot of emotions tends to be brought whenever the topic is brought anything, I feel a bit better now that's out of my system. That is, after all, the first time I've ever told anyone the complete story."

"I still can't believe it. Despite everything, you still believe in others. You still hold onto hope." Naegi said in an almost idolizing manner.

"If anything else, it comes back full circle to the things I have been saying from the start." Kuramoto commented. "I managed to get as far as I have and retain much of what I am due to my teammates. By working together, not only do our opportunities to escape grow, but so does our survival chances."

"You remind me so much of my squad mates back when I was in Fenrir. You being an ex-soldier seems to suit you so well. No wonder we got along so quickly." Ikusaba said, giving a small chuckle.

"Before I forget, there's something I would like to talk to you about, alone." Kirigiri said.

Ikusaba started to glare at Kirigiri.

"Easy, Mukuro-chan. She likely has some important information to bring to me. We have been working together ever since the first day. I have as much trust with her in as much as I trust you and Makoto-kun."

Ikusaba continued to look at Kirigiri for a few more moments before sighing.

"Ok, just please be careful."

"I will."

"Let's give these two some space." Naegi said, signaling Ikusaba to leave them.

The two of them left the room, but before the soldier could ponder something.

" _First, Naegi-kun and now Fumio-kun. Just what's happening to me?"_

"First order of business, I have something to give to you." Kirigiri said,handing him a piece of folded notebook paper and both of them had sat in a manner which the camera in the room couldn't see the note's contents.

"Thank you, Kirigiri-chan, I'll take a look at it later. But while we are at it, I'd like for you to have a look at this." Kuramoto said, giving Kirigiri-chan the two sheets of paper he found.

Kirigiri took a few minutes to read through the two notes Kuramoto gave her. Then with a brief look of revelation, she turned to Kuramoto, returning to him the papers.

"You found these when you went to go investigating two days ago, didn't you?" Kirigiri whispered to Kuramoto.

"Sharp as ever. I found a secret location within the second floor male's bathroom. Although, there's a good chance that whatever remains might already be gone." Kuramoto whispered back.

"I see. At the very least, thanks to this information, we not only got an idea on who might be behind this, but also solidification on the idea of purposeful memory removal. Nice work."

"Thank you. With this, the reasoning behind my own memory removal is, more or less, confirmed as well." Kuramoto stated. "The handwriting of the second note is my handwriting, after all."

Kirigiri simply nodded in response.

"I do have one last unrelated question as well." Kirgiri said. "Have you been feeling unusual emotions as of late? More specifically, unexpected feelings of trust and attachments to people."

" _Not that she mentions it. With how fast I became friends with both Makoto-kun and Mukuro-chan as well as quickly developing a partnership with Kirigiri-chan."_

"Yes I have actually. It's been mainly between yourself, Makoto-kun and Mukuro-chan. While I have developed some camaraderie with a couple of individuals here, but with you three, the amount of trust I put into you guys is far higher than what I normally would have with people."

"So, it really isn't just me, then." Kirigiri stated. "It's been the same between you and Naegi-kun."

" _Maybe, it has something to do with our missing memories?"_ Kuramoto thought to himself. _"If a lot more time has passed than what is being assumed, then perhaps we are missing more time than what we are expecting."_

" _If we are subconsciously so trusting of one another, maybe we were all close prior to this disaster and whatever method was used to cause us to lose our memories wasn't able to completely get rid of our connections to one another. Maybe the exact emotions were removed, but now that the necessary steps have been made, the same emotions that were felt in the past are quickly resurfacing. After all, it takes some very through work to completely remove experiences from a person."_

"I may have a theory as to why that might be the case, but I need to verify some things first before I can present a tangible answer." Kuramoto finally answered. "For now, I would say trust your instincts. You'd be surprised how often they can be right. I don't know as to how much you and Makoto-kun have interacted, but I'll say that he's easily one of the nicest people out of the group by a landslide."

Kirigiri took a moment to process what Kuramoto had decided to tell her.

"Very well. I'll take your advice into consideration and thanks." Kirigiri replied, before getting up and proceeding to walk out of the room.

 _"A nice person, huh? Perhaps it's time that I humor him."_

With the last person in his room gone, he decided to read the note that Kirigiri had given him.

* * *

 _I am finally starting to remember a few things. It isn't much, but I do remember my talent as well as why I came to this school. You were right, it is the SHSL Dectective. I came to this school to find the Headmaster. I still don't know if we are related or not, but I'll let you know when I have figured that out. Also, Fujisaki-san has repaired the laptop and has began working on computer program. She hasn't given me the details, but she's insistent that it will help us out._

* * *

 _"Well, that's good that she is now recovering her memories as well. And she did manage to get the computer up and running. In that case, once he is done with it, I may have an idea on how to contact the outside world. I just hope it works."_

With the note now read and no other tasks that need to be done, he decided to pick up a book from his shelf and began to read.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy, Cafeteria**

 **Time: 1230**

With no events taking place, Kuramoto decided to go and make himself some food and he was now sitting within the cafeteria.

"Hello, Kuramoto-kun."

Kuramoto looked up to find that Celes was now taking a seat next to him.

"Hello, Celes-san, what brings you here?"

"Well….I wanted to ask you something." Celes said in an uncharacteristically somber manner.

Seeing the change in demeanor, Kuramoto sat up straight and gave her his undivided attention.

"What is it, Celes-san?"

"..."

"Did you mean what you said two days ago? About what you said about leadership and the common folk?"

" _Ah, she must be talking about what was said during my little speech with Togami."_

"Yes, I did. Why do you ask?"

"I've been thinking about what you said ever since that day. I guess you could say I have been in a bit of internal conflict and I'm honestly not sure what to do."

" _Hmmm…..an internal conflict ever since two days ago and now she decides to come forth to talk with me shortly after the motive is announced. If that's the case, then there's a high likelihood that her alias Celestia Ludenberg was a means to keep her as far away from her origins as possible. That would explain why she would choose a non Japanese name as a name choice."_

"Well, I'm not sure as to what specific conflict you have, but I will say this. Normalcy is nothing to be ashamed about. I can see as to why many people would abhor the idea of being normal due to the standard inmost areas of the world involves being an illiterate moron. But just because that's how it is right now, doesn't necessarily mean that's how it supposed to be or that the masses are forever doomed to be like that."

"If any, I see it as a part of responsibility for those who have the means of leading and directing the masses to improve the current standard of the common person. If not due to that being the only real way to make any serious advancements in civilizations, then to at least make sure that one's reign as a leader will be long lasting."

"Furthermore, many people that do rise to the top and are ones that tend to be remembered, both masses and elite alike, are those that come from humble beginnings."

"..."

Celes lowered her eyes for a bit, clearly lost in thought.

"I don't know as to why you decided to take up your alias or why you have the perspective of normalcy that you do. But if nothing else, I hope I have at least given you something to think about."

"..."

"You certainly give quite the thought provoking speeches." Celes said, composing herself. "Thanks, and I bid you farewell."

With that Celes decided to take off.

" _No shame in normalcy….huh? I've….never even considered that possibility before. To think that it would take someone who has lead a life that is anything other than normal for me to even conceive such a thought."_

" _..."_

" _Perhaps I'll talk to him a little bit more after this motive is over."_

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy, Men's Locker Room**

 **Time: 2100**

"Okay, Fujisaki-kun, that will be it for today."

"Phew." Fujisaki sighed out as he fell onto the floor in exhaustion.

"Alright, we will continue this little regime and rotate to make sure the appropriate muscle groups are getting the proper rest they need in order to build themselves up."

"Ok and thanks again, Kuramoto-kun for everything." Fujisaki said happily. "I just wish there was some way I could repay you."

"Actually, there is something that you could do since you brought it up." Kuramoto said, remembering something.

"Wait, really?" Fujisaki eyes lit up.

"Meet me in the sauna in ten minutes and we'll go over the details."

With that said, the two of them left the locker and Fujisaki went straight to the sauna while Kuramoto went to his room. About five minutes later, they meet up just outside the sauna.

"So, what did you want me to do?" Fujisaki asked.

Kuramoto simply revealed what looked like to be an e-handbook, but it looked a little different. Instead of the usual blue color, it was instead black. Furthermore, he also revealed to what looked like was a small handheld computer device that can fit e-handbooks within it.

"I found these when I was searching through the school. I'm fairly certain this just might be a means of creating a master key."

"Oh! I see where you going. I think this input device could be used to adjust the programming of the card." Fujisaki replied with his eyes lighting up.

"Precisely." Kuramoto said, glad he understood.

"It will take some time to figure out the coding pattern that is used for the electronic keys and I am working on another project as well that should help, but I'll do it. I'll get you the master key to this place!"

"Thank you, Fujisaki-kun." Kuramoto said gratefully.. "Once you have it ready, come find me and say that my request is complete."

Fujisaki nodded his head in understanding.

"Now then, shall we go in?" Kuramoto said, changing topics.

"Eh?"

"Well, it will look suspicious to our captor if we just came out of the sauna and we haven't even been in it." Kuramoto said, heading towards the sauna.

"I guess you're right." Fujisaki said, following Kuramoto.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy, Kuramoto's Room**

 **Time: 2201**

" _Well, it looks like its now Nighttime. I just finished up training and my request with Fujisaki-kun and I finished up my obligations with the kitchen area. I might as well turn in for the night."_

 ***DING DONG***

" _Someone's at the door?"_

Kuramoto went to the door to find, to his surprise, that Fukawa was there, waiting for him to answer.

"Good evening, Fukawa-san. What brings you here?"

"..."

"T-There's something that I need to tell you."

"Alright, sure, come on in." Kuramoto signals Fukawa to come in.

"So, what is you wanna talk about?" Kuramoto asked once the two of them were seated.

"..."

"Well, y-you remember when the group was talking about Genocider Syo, r-right?"

"Yes. What about that?'

"..."

"I may have some information for you about that."

" _Wait a minute…is she about to tell me what I think she's about to tell me? If that's the case, then I need to be cautious with how I word my questions and answers to avoid breaking the rules."_

"How much do you know about Genocider Syo?" Kuramoto asked.

"..."

"A-At least as much as you do."

" _From what I know, she doesn't have any history in law enforcement so either any involvement of such is very well hidden or she really is Genocider Syo."_

"In that case, would you know if Genocider Syo would mind if their identity was made known to the rest of the students here?"

"Huh?"

" _W-Wait, so he actually has..."_ Fukawa thought, surprised.

"Would you know if Genocider Syo would mind if their identity was made known to the rest of the students here?" Kuramoto repeated.

" _I-I guess there's no turning back, it's now or never. As long as I have him by my side then..."_

"N-No, she wouldn't."

With those words, Kuramoto pulled out his e-handbook, went to the Motive tab and-

 ***DING DONG BONG BING***

 **This is an announcement from Fumio Kuramoto. Toko Fukawa is the serial killer known as Genocider Syo.**

"So, it's really true. You are Genocider Syo."

"...Yeah, that's right."

" _Hmm...how do I deal with this situation? While under normal circumstances, it would be best to keep a serial killer as far away from everyone as possible, but neither the circumstances of both the killer in question or the situation everyone is in could constitute as normal. Hmm….if it's possible for her alternate personality to be reasoned with, then just maybe such drastic measures may be unnecessary. It is risky and there's no guarantee that that will be the case, but it beats the alternatives of having her either killed or contained. Plus, if things work out favorably, I will have another surefire ally on my side as a bonus which will always be helpful in these circumstances."_

"I won't lie, it is quite a bit to take in. I suppose it would be best to make clear where I stand. My first and foremost concern is the immediate safety of myself and everyone here. However, I would prefer to avoid having to resort to extreme measures to keep another killing from happening. So, here is my proposal. As long as Genocider Syo can be dealt with without having to resort to extreme measures then I will see to it that no one will lay a hand on you. Is this a reasonable arrangement?"

Fukawa stood there shocked. She thought for sure that revealing that information would be the end of her. She figured it would be best to get it out of the way now with someone she believed that wouldn't immediately kill her on the spot to at least try and lessen the blow a bit.

"Y-Yes, thank you so much!" Fukawa squealed in joy.

"Good. Now then in regards to my previous statement, I do have a few questions for you Fukawa-san."

Fukawa nodded in response.

"First, do you know what the trigger mechanisms are for changing to Genocider Syo?" Kuramoto asked.

"W-Well, from what I do know is that s-she comes out whenever I-I sneeze or unwillingly lose consciousness."

" _Unconsciousness or sneezing? Interesting...that would explain as to why see steered clear of the file involving her. In addition to a possible indictment from any of the smarter individuals, if she has hemophobia as she claims, it could have caused her to pass out, unleashing Genocider Syo."_

"Second, can she be reasoned with?"

I-I don't know if s-she can be reasoned with. B-But, I do have a t-theory. Most of the guys that get killed t-tend to be one's that I find some level of i-interest in. So, it's a possibility that w-we also share emotions. And if t-that's true, I'm sure she'll l-listen to you." Fukawa answered.

" _Sharing emotions? If that's truly the case, then this just might work in my favor."_

"If you aren't certain, then I guess there's only one way to find out then."

"Huh?"

"I would like to be able to talk to Genocide Syo to see if it's possible to reason with her, please." Kuramoto requested.

Fukawa sat there, in complete shock, unsure with how to respond with that.

"B-But...but..."

Kuramoto, seeing as to why she was reacting as she was simply replied.

"Fear not, I am a trained fighter, after all. One that was able to stand my ground against the Ultimate Martial Artist, no less. So, if needed, it shouldn't be difficult to subjugate Genocider Syo. Furthermore, since unconsciousness triggers the switch of personalities, I do have some insurance in a worst case scenario." Kuramoto reassured and afterwards got up from his seat and headed to his bathroom.

"I-Insurance?" Fukawa repeated, curious as to what he was doing seeing as the bathroom door was still open.

"Yup." Kuramoto responded, revealing a syringe with a label named "Thiamylal"

"What's that?"

"In layman term's, it is an anesthetic, Thiamylal in particular, is used quite frequently in the medical field, most notably for surgeries. Albeit, it's usually in the form of a gas as opposed to a liquid."

"A-And you've had this t-the whole time?" Fukawa said, fearfully.

"Yes, it came with the advanced first aid kit. The same that I used to treat Makoto-kun's injuries. It's also the same anesthetic that I used to ensure that Maizono-san would stay unconscious while I restrained her on that very same night."

"B-but why would a first aid kit come with s-such a thing in the first place?" Fukawa asked, both with suspicion and curiosity.

"Blood flow." Kuramoto swiftly replied.

"Huh?"

"First Aid 101, when dealing with most forms of injuries that involve severe external bleeding, there are three priorities that you will always have when treating a person. First, minimizing the chance of infection. After all, first aid will be rendered pointless if the person gets a problematic infection and it results in their deaths. Second, stopping the blood flow. For obvious reasons, if the person looses too much blood then they will die. Which leads to the last one, shock prevention, hypovolemic shock if you want to be more specific. If shock occurs, it can lead to other devastating conditions such as organ damage or even failure. As to how this relates to anesthetics is simple. In case you don't know, blood flows to the body via the heart and when unconscious, the heart rate is slowed down. As such, anesthetic can make it easier to be able to save an individual. Not to mention, if a person needs stitches or other treatments, it's much easier to accomplish them when they are under then when they are not." Kuramoto explained.

Fukawa simply nodded in response, seemingly satisfied with his explanation.

"Regardless, I have a fail-safe in case things don't work out. So, you don't need to worry."

Fukawa sat there for a moment, pondering over things before speaking up once more.

"Alright, just promise me that you won't hesitate to use the fail-safe if things don't go smoothly."

"I promise, Fukawa-san."

With those words, Fukawa took the end of one of her braids and tickled her nose with it. After a moment, she sneezed. It didn't take long and the change was obvious. Her eyes now red and her tongue was now hanging out and much longer than before.

"GYAYAYAYAYAYH! Everone's favorite serial killer is on the scene!"

After that declaration, Fukawa stared at Kuramoto for a moment before joyfully saying.

"Fumio-sama!"

" _Wait, huh?"_

That was enough for Kuramoto to lower his guard for just long for Fukawa to tackle him into the ground, giving him a tight hug.

"Fumio-sama! Oh, how I have missed you~!"

" _W-What? Fumio-sama? I-I don't even...I knew that Fukawa-san told me that they might share emotions, but is this how she really feels about me?"_

"I take it your Genocider Syo." Kuramoto finally managed to get out.

"Oui, the SHSL Murderer Genocider Syo at your service!" Syo said smiling, getting off Kuramoto and standing up.

" _Ok, so there's no more room for doubt, she's Genocider Syo. And apparently, she has some type of adoration towards me. I'm not sure whether to be glad or worried about that._ "

"So, what's up?" Syo asked. "Miss Gloomy has been keeping in the dark for a while now, so I can only assume something has come up."

" _Does she not know?"_

 ***DING DONG***

" _The doorbell? Oh, right. There's probably a few people who figured it out and are worried for my safety."_

"Can you give a second, Genocider Syo? I gotta answer this real quick." Kuramoto said, heading towards the door.

"He opened it to find both Ikusaba and Naegi were there.

"Fumio-kun, are you okay?" Naegi said worryingly.

"Is Genocider Syo in there?" Ikusaba said sternly.

"I'm okay, as for Genocider Syo, I shouldn't have to worry about her and I'm in the middle of figuring out whether or not that applies to everyone else."

"Who are you talking to Fumio-sama?" Genocider asked as she stepped just behind Kuramoto.

"Oh, Ma-kun! How are you doing? It's been a while." Syo casually greeted.

"Ma-kun? You okay Fukawa-san?

"GYAYAYAYAYAYH! That's quite the joke there Ma-kun, I'm most certainly not the little rain cloud that you are talking about." Syo mocked.

Naegi stood there for a moment, confused before remembering what Kuramoto had spoken in regards to Genocider Syo and the file that was found about her.

"Genocider Syo?"

"BINGO! Serial killer extraordinaire, Genocider Syo!" Syo exclaimed. "Anyways, since I am now up, I decided to have a little chat with my Red Knight here." Syo added as clinged onto Kuramoto.

"What do you plan on doing to Fumio-kun?" Ikusaba said sternly, eyes narrowing.

Syo turned her head towards Ikusaba and in a blink of an eye, pulled out her famous scissors and pointed it at Ikusaba.

"Hey, GI Joe. Give me some space." Syo commanded.

Ikusaba stood her, her eyes still narrow and her stern look frozen in place.

"I haven't been up and about for some time now and all I want to do is chat with my Red Knight here. Don't go thinking you can hog him all to yourself." Syo claimed.

"W-What are you trying to say?" Ikusaba stammered out, caught off guard by that remark.

"Hah! You don't think I know? I've seen the way you look at my Red Knight. I know you'd love nothing more than to take him to a private room, strip him down and-"

"Ok, I think that's enough of that." Kuramoto interrupted before anyone else's face could get any more red.

"The bottom line is that I'm okay and I don't have to worry about Genocider Syo here attacking me. I'll talk to her for a little bit longer and we'll discuss the situation with the entire class first thing in the morning." Kuramoto said, signaling them both to head to their rooms.

"Ok, I see you in the morning." Naegi said, heading back to his room.

Ikusaba simply nodded before walking away.

Seeing as they were both now gone, they headed back to Kuramoto's room.

"So, what's going on, Red Knight? You've been looking at me like it's the first time you've seen me?"

" _So we have meet before? But I don't recall meeting her at all…..wait a second. She said, she's been the dark for some time. Could it be they don't share memories?"_

"Genocider Syo, are you aware of what's happened within the past week?"

"No need to be so formal with me Fumio-sama. Syo-chan is fine with me. And nope, I haven't got a clue what's been happening, we don't share memories, remember?" Syo stated before she gasped.

"Could it be that my Red Knight has completely forgotten about me!?"

"Actually, that's not entirely inaccurate."

Before Syo could begin going on a tangent, Kuramoto cut her off.

"Before you start saying anything else, I'd think it would be best to explain the situation to you first."

Kuramoto spent about 10 minutes explaining the entirety of what has happened so far. About being trapped in the school, about Monokuma, the killing game everyone was forced to participate and about the memory loss that he and Kirigiri were suffering from.

"I see...I see. So Monokuma managed to find its way even through this barricaded school. Tch. Those Ultimate Despair goons don't seem to know when to quit."

"Ultimate Despair?" Kuramoto said, confused.

"Yeah, that's what they call themselves. That group that caused that incident."

"Incident?"

"The Biggest, Most Awful Most, Tragic Event in Human History. The event that began a year that destroyed most of the world and left most of mankind on its knees." Syo explained.

"And?"

"That's it." Syo said.

"Isn't there more? about what caused it. What's going on with the rest of the world? Anything?" Kuramoto asked.

"I don't really know the details. My other half lived through most of it." Syo stated.

" _So...Fukawa lived through this event…...wait."_

It was then that a thought entered Kuramoto's mind. A thought that scared him. A thought that gave the possibility that whoever is orchestrating this killing game is even more dangerous than he thought. A thought that could both bring and answer a lot of questions.

" _Could it be that all of us are suffering from amnesia?"_

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

 **Aaaaaaand pencil down! I'll be honest and say I wasn't entirely sure on how to write Genocider Syo. I had an idea on how see was going to be like, otherwise I kinda winged it. I was also honestly hoping to get a little bit more from the perspective of others, but I guess thems the brakes. I can focus on that the next part. Anyways, that's it for this chapter. It's great to be back. I will try to stay within the 1 to 2 week updates for this story. I will see you all on the next part.**


	18. Arc 2 Part 7: The Moment of Truth

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Notes: Not really much for the notes this time except I have been doing a little bit of clean up with some of my works. I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **He Who Seeks The Joys In Life:** **Your criticism is appreciated and I do understand where you are coming from. I did design Kuramoto in a way so he could stand his ground against Enoshima. I do have plans for our Mastermind to take full advantage of a crippling weakness Kuramoto does have, so I do hope you stick around long enough to see it.**

 **LazyWriterDude:** **Thanks, and all** **unanswered questions will start to have answers as Kuramoto continues to** **recover more memories. I'm honestly quite excited to begin working on that and revealing things.**

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy, Kuramoto's Room**

 **Time: 0700AM**

" _Looks like it's time to get up. Today's going to be a real doozy, that's for sure. I just hope folks are willing to listen."_

With those thoughts in mind, Kuramoto made his way towards the dining hall to meet up with Naegi to make breakfast.

"Thank goodness you're okay." Naegi said. "I was worried after what happened last night."

"What was that last night? Something about Fukawa-san being Genocider Syo?" Asahina asked.

"That's prepostorous! There's no way a student inside a prestigious could be a deranged serial killer!" Ishimaru insisted.

"I think it would be best to save the explanations until after everyone's here."

Around 0735 is when the entire class ending up showing up, even Togami was around this time, probably curious to know more about last night's revelation.

"The hell was goin' happen last night?" Oowada asked.

"Monokuma said something about Fukawa-san being Genocider Syo?" Maizono brought up, uncertain.

The others began to ask similar questions and started to surround Fukawa, wanting answers.

"Alright everyone, give her some space!" Kuramoto commanded.

With that command, everyone backed away from Fukawa and gave Kuramoto their attention.

"As far as last night's announcementand what it meant goes, it would simply be easier to show you than explain it. Fukawa-chan, if you would please." Kuramoto stated.

"Fukawa-chan?"Asahina said, confused

"Boring lady? Hey, that's quite the bad joke! GYAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

"W-What's going on!?" Ishimaru exclaimed.

"Waht the fuck is this!?" Oowada added.

"As everyone can see, Fukawa-chan here has Dissociate Identity Disorder."

"Dissociate Identity Disorder? Wait, you don't mean-" Ishimaru stated.

Kuramoto simply nodded. "Yes, that's correct. Toko Fukawa's alternate identity is Genocider Syo."

The expected looks of surprise and fear began to appear on everyone's faces. Even Kirigiri was surprise by the turn of events. However, there was one individual that was quite angry at the turn of events.

"And just when were you planning on telling us this?" Togami demanded.

"You? I wasn't planning to." Kuramoto bluntly stated.

"You..." Togami tried to speak out.

"I don't believe you're in any position to be complaining about others withholding secrets." Kuramoto ruthlessly cut off. "The last time I checked, my own secret was compromised so a certain pretentious scion wouldn't have to worry about having to reveal his."

That immediately shut Togami up. He just resorted to grumbling under his breath, no longer willing to participate in the meeting.

"As for the others, that would come down to whether or not Fukawa-chan would be ready to reveal that information."

"And from the look of things, that seems to be the case." Celes said.

"Kuramoto just nodded to confirm that was correct.

"It's honestly surprising that I had the insane luck to both get the secret that Genocider Syo was among us and the person was willing to come to me to discuss."

"Yep, that's right! My precious Red Knight wanted to get to know me a little bit more, so I was humoring him last night. "Syo added, clinging onto Kuramoto.

Some of the group members were a little confused as to why Genocider Syo was acting so clingy towards Kuramoto. He just gave them a look that pretty much screams "Please don't ask..."

"Umm...is nobody going to address the issue that we have a serial killer among us?" Yamada asked nervously.

"That's the good news." Kuramoto stated. "While I don't know why Syo-chan here seemed to be so attached to me, she is and is she also willing to listen to me. Long story short, after a brief conversation last night, she's agreed to not spill any blood."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"What!?" Several people shouted at once.

"Y-You seriously managed to convince a serial killer to not kill anyone!?" Yamada yelled.

"H-How how the hell's that's possible!?" Oowada responded.

"After my Red Knight explained everything to me, it's quite clear that that annoying teddy bear has made in a pain in the ass to do my work here." Syo enlightened, quite clearly annoyed. "Plus, I'd never do something that would upset my Red Knight."

"So...it's really safe to assume that you won't be killing anyone? I mean if Kuramoto-kun deemed it safe to you to be roaming around freely then..." Maizono asked with a hint of uncertainty.

"This little gal will be keeping her scissor cleans." Syo finished for her. "First, I've been laid bare for all to see and I have waayyyy too high class taste to compromise my style. Second, as I said, I know it would upset my Red Knight. So no Sky-chan, none of the guys here don't have to worry about it being done to them."

"Um….You keep calling Fumio-kun Red Knight. Why is that?" Naegi asked.

"Why wouldn't I!?" Syo said, as if he just asked her a dumb question. "After all, red is the color of blood, something which I know he has spilled. Furthermore, it's the color of passion. Add that to his heroic nature and charisma and I think Red Knight is a fitting name for him. Don't you think?"

The group was taken off guard by Genocider Syo's surprisingly astute answer.

"She's not wrong." Kuramoto spoke up. "In addition to those things, red is also the color of the zodiac sign Aries. Which that sign and those under it are known for courage, ambition, determination and confidence among other things. A fitting nickname, albeit not the first thing that I would think of."

"Yay! My Red Knight praised me!" Syo squealed.

Most of the group was in shock as to just how quickly Genocider Syo would flip emotions. They were expecting her to be crazy, but seemed to be too much for their poor minds.

"Nope. This is too much." Kuwata said, giving up trying to rationalize everything. "I'm just going to finish up breakfast."

"Good idea, Tomato-kun!" Syo agreed. "By the way, what _is_ for breakfast?"

"Makoto-kun and I decided to prepare some omelets as well as some hash browns and bacon." Kurmaoto answered.

"OOOOOOOOO! Mac-kun and my Red Knight working together to make a delicious meal. This should awesome!"

Seeing Genocider Syo dig in and the major issue that everyone had with her settled, despite the tension still being present, everyone eventually settled down enough to finish breakfast.

* * *

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy,** **Gym**

 **Time: 2200PM**

Despite the big revelation that occurred earlier this morning, nothing of major significance occurred. Just as the nighttime announcement was about to play...

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

 **"Ahem, this is a school announcement. Emergency! Emergency! Everyone, please gather at the gym immediately!"**

It took about five minutes, but everyone eventually managed to make their way towards the gym just after the nighttime announcement.

"The time limit for the motive has now expired!" Monokuma announced, arriving at the scene. "Such a shame...I thought for sure that one of you would have killed someone by now."

"Of course we wouldn't!" Ishimaru claimed. "No one wouldn't take someone's life just because of a secret!"

"In that case, let's begin with the secret reveals, starting with you, Ishimaru-kun." Monokuma responded.

"Huh?"

 **"Kiyotaka Ishimaru is the grandson of a Prime Minister that was caught red handed in a scandal."**

Ishimaru flinched for a moment as his secret was brought forth for all to know.

"Grandson of a Prime Minister!?" Naegi said, shocked.

Barring a few, most of the other students had similar reactions.

"Yes, I'm afraid that's really the case. His name was Toranosuke Ishimaru." Ishimaru lamented.

"I've heard of him before." Togami claimed, much to the surprise of the rest of the students. "A Prime Minister who was believed to be a prodigy. He was, more or less, the ruler of Japan for a time until he got himself caught in a scandal involving underground dealings. He hid himself in disgrace up until his life's end. That about sums it up, right?"

"Yes...yes it does." Ishimaru confirmed. "He allowed his own ego and natural ability to get the better of him and it cost him. To make matters worse, it not only affected himself but me and my family as well. Shortly after he was forced to step down, the business that he was in charge of collapsed with him and after he died, he left it up to my parents and I to pick up huge amount of debt that he accumulated from which we still suffer for to this very day."

"That's why I've been working as hard as I have been. I've put so much time into my studies and other school activities for that exact reason. To try and regain the honor my family name has lost as a result of that scandal. To make the Ishimaru name that people would up to in pride as opposed to disgust. I refuse to let the choices that my grandfather made haunt us forever!" Ishimaru went on.

Several people nodded their heads in approval. A few others were lost in thought. In particular, Maizono was lost in thought about the scandal. She was downright terrified after hearing that story. She had heard plenty of horror stories on what happens to people who get caught up in scandals in the entertainment industry. To put it mildly, it made her shudder just thinking about it.

"Quite amazing isn't it?" Monokuma asked. "On how people that are held in high esteem can have such shady secrets to hide. Speaking of which, this leads me to the next secret."

 **"Sayaka Maizono had caused another idol's career to be ended by hospitalizing her."**

The room grew quiet as they turned to the idol in question. Maizono said nothing as she looked downward, her dark blue hair now covering her eyes.

"Maizono-san?" Naegi said.

"Maizono answered back in an almost monotone voice. "I've told you before, didn't I? I did whatever it took in order to achieve my dream to become an idol."

"There was a risingidol was getting a lot of attention during that time. Attention that was being taken away from my group. So, I had asked some of the more zealous fans to send a message to her to put her in her place. The next that I heard of her was that she was residing in a hospital with major burns throughout all of her upper body and face."

Many of the people that were less accustomed to such brutality grew wide eyed at the fate of the rising.

"T-That's..." Naegi started.

"How could you do such a thing!? Why would you even ask others to do something as awful as that!" Ishimaru shouted out.

"You make it sound like as though this was something I wanted to have happen..." Maizono said, growing angry.

Confused looks were exchanged throughout the room.

"While yes, I did want the girl to back off and at worst I would have expected maybe a bruise or two, but I wasn't expecting for those people to take it that far and permanently destroy that girl's life."

"And the worst part about all of this is that in the back of my mind, I was glad that she was out of the picture despite feeling horrible about what happened to her."

"Still, wasn't that pushing things a little too far? Getting your fans to attack others like that." Asahina asked.

"You don't get it!" Maizono shouted out to the surprise of everyone. "The entertainment business isn't just some fantasy land where everyone gets along and goes on their merry way. It's a vicious predatory environment that if you aren't willing to do whatever it takes to stay relevant, you will simply be crushed and tossed aside by does that will."

" _It sounds like Maizono-san only really does these things in order to ensure that she and her group stays at the top, not because she enjoys doing those things. Just one more thing to add to the list of reasons as to why I'm not fond of the_ _self named "elite"_ _of the world."_ Kuramoto thought solemnly.

"It wouldn't shock me if you guys saw me as nothing short of a monster, but know this. My story is far from the first case of something like that happening. In fact, I have had to go through that several times and so did my bandmates as well climbed towards the top."

The room grew eerily quiet as Maizono brought forth the truth about her work as an idol. To those that understood the nature of the business, there was nothing that needed to be said since they knew the truth. For the rest, they were stunted into silence as their perspective of reality was being shattered before their eyes.

"Sadly, Maizono-san speaks the truth. Stories like are quite common within the celebrity field. It's basically one giant game of sabotage and subterfuge that typically ends with plenty of ruined lives with only the managers and sponsors being the only ones who truly gain anything from it."

"T-That's horrible!" Fujisaki cried out.

"Never said it wasn't but it is the truth." Kuramoto responded.

The room atmosphere was now at an intense standstill. Many were not sure as to how to process this information. Before the oppressive atmosphere could go anything, Monokuma spoke up again.

"Man, the heavy atmosphere is really something else! Buuuutttt as much as I would like to milk this for just a little bit longer, we got some secrets to go through."

 **"Makoto Naegi had wet his bed up until 5th grade."**

The entire room went silent for a moment before laughter began to echo throughout the room.

"Are you serious? T-That's….that's" Kuwata said, trying vainly to contain this laughter.

"Looks like Naegi-kun is still just a kid." Oowada chimed in, amused.

"Come on you guys, this isn't funny!" Naegi cried out in embarrassment.

"That's actually...kinda adorable." Maizono giggled, recovering a bit from her dark demeanor.

Naegi could only look down, heavily embarrassed as quite a few of his classmates were laughing at his expense.

"GYAHAHAHAHAH! Poor old Mac-kun has gotten himself all tongue tied from his circumstances." Syo added on, also amused.

"Don't feel too bad, Makoto-kun." Kuramoto said, trying to cheer Naegi up. "I'm certain that that was the last thing they were expecting your secret to be. Besides, while yeah it's certainly is embarrassing, it could easily be much worse."

"Yeah. Sadly, no matter how much I searched, I really couldn't find anything else that could be used." Monokuma said, depressed. "Oh well, onto the next one."

 **"Leon Kuwata has a cousin who's in love with him."**

Several heads turned towards Kuwata in curiosity. Some confused, others intrigued.

"Well, that's expected right? I mean, what kind of person wouldn't love their family?" Asahina replied.

"Umm…..Asahina-san. I don't think Monokuma is referring to familial love." Naegi said.

"Eh?"

"Monokuma is referring to love as in the way one would love a lover." Kuramoto finished.

"Eeehhhhhhhh?" Asahina repeated, now red-faced, understanding the complications.

"What the heck? You're in love with your cousin!? That's messed up!"

"Woah! Woah! Woah!" Kuwata put his hands up defensively. "She loves me like that. Not the other way around!"

"So Master Leon Kuwata is going up against a case of Big Brother Attraction. That's indeed quite the conundrum." Yamada pointed out.

"Yeah, I know." Kuwata sighed out. "Even I don't really know why she sees me like that. I mean, we did, for the most part, grow up together and all that, but I still don't see as to how that would translate to romantic feelings."

"To try and give her some distance to try and help her break out those feelings are a part of the reason why I decided to take up baseball in the first place."

"I honestly have no idea as to what to do about it. On one hand, I really do care for her as a sibling, but on the other I cannot accept her feelings towards and I don't just want to end up telling her his in away that will cause a terrible backlash."

The room went quiet unsure as to what to say to Kuwata. Naegi, Yamada, Asahina had the best understanding of the situation with all three of them having younger siblings themselves.

"Next one." Monokuma declared.

 **Hifumi Yamada started writing Doujishin because she was rejected by a girl in primary school."**

An awkward silence had filled the room, preventing any response from that revelation.

"That's his darkest secret?" Kuwata asked.

"Sadly yes." Yamada admitted. "And it really did sting for quite some due to the fact that was because of my love for the world of 2D was the reason behind the rejection."

" _Ouch."_ was the consensus thought throughout the room. That had to suck being rejected because of an activity that you loved.

"I originally started to work on Doujins as a means to distract myself from my broken heart. But as I started to bring them out to the public, I began to meet others who shared my views and hobbies. My work showed me that I actually could have friendships through my hobbies. It showed me that I didn't have to hide who I really was. I truly felt free. And ever since, this 3D adventurer has been pursing his craft of the 2D world!" Yamada went on, becoming more and more passionate.

"That's….quite inspirational!" Ishimaru said teary eyed.

"Looks like even he has his moments..."Celes agreed.

"It's often when the chips are down is when we discover important parts of ourselves." Kuramoto added.

Togami just scoffed.

"Hmm….well, looks like we aren't going to get much else from this, so lets' move on." Monokuma decreed.

 **"Aoi Asahina has insecurity issues with her femininity."**

"Huh?" was the off guard response from several people in the room.

"It's true, due to her love for athletic activities, she constantly worries about her femininity taking a hit as well." Monokuma continued.

Asahina's face changed to a dark shade of red, both from anger and embarrassment, as her insecurity was laid bare in front of everyone.

"Is this true, Asahina-chan?" Maizono asked.

"Yeah, it's true." Asahina replied, saddened. "Ever since primary school, I've always been made fun of because of my love for sports. It's….made it hard at times to be able to make friends and most guys have steered clear of me as well because of that. I mean, what kind of guy wants a girlfriend that is more atheltic than her?"

" _I had no idea….I honestly was somewhat jealous of her at times but, I never would have suspected that was going through her own fair share of problems, especially given how genuinely upbeat she usually is."_ Maizono thought, reprimanding herself.

"It's okay, Asahina-chan. I mean you already have made some friends while here. Kuwata-kun and I have hung out with you plenty of times."

"Plus, from the perspective of someone who has been around plenty of guys, I can say with confidence that there are those out there who find the athletic girls to be quite appealing."

"Maizono-san is on point with her observation." Kuramoto agreed. "In the same way that trying to pigeon hole masculinity in one angle is wrong, the same is true for femininity. All it will take is some patience to find the right person."

"Well, if you guys believe that it will happen, then okay I'll-" Asahina brightened up.

"Yes! Yes! Thank you for those insightful remarks!" Monokuma interrupted, now very annoyed.

"While were on the subject of gender based crisis, let's reveal the next secret." Monokuma said, changing demeanor.

 **"Chihiro Fujisaki is actually a boy!"**

The whole room went silent. Barring the one other person who already knew, the rest were trying to process what they just heard.

"Wot" was the intellectual response Yamada made to that revelation.

"It's true."Fujisaki said, lifting up his skirt and revealing his secret.

If the room wasn't shocked before, they were now.

"You're a guy!" Several people shouted at once.

One person, however, was awestruck by this revelation.

"You're seriously a guy! That's so hot!" Syo said, getting very close look at Fujisaki to the point of making him uncomfortable.

"Syo-chan…." Kuramoto sternly said.

"I know. I know. Can't a girl enjoy the things she gets turned on by?" Syo said in a pouting manner.

"A-Anyways, I was hoping to reveal it myself instead of having Monokuma say it. But the motive stopped me from doing so." Fujisaki confessed, trying to ignore what just happened.

"What changed?" Naegi asked. "I'd imagine it wouldn't be a choice that you would make lightly."

"To be honest, Kuramoto-kun was the one who inspired me to change my mind." Fujisaki truthfully declared.

The rest of the classmates turned towards Kuramoto to giving looks either surprise or impressiveness.

"The courage he has, his willingness to stand up against others and to see the good in others. Ever since we got here, has began to influence me and I decided to come to him to start working out." Fujisaki went on, looking like he had stars in his eyes.

Kuramoto nodded in confirmation. "It's true, he did come to me a few days ago with that request. At that point, I managed to figure out his secret and I may or may not have dragged Fujisaki-kun to the male locker room to confirm it."

The others looked at Kuramoto like a deer caught in headlights. Some shocked, others trying to picture what it was like for Fujisaki to go through with that.

"Hey, I don't have any issues with it or anything, but why did you decide to start wearing women's clothes?" Asahina asked, move the topic along.

Fujisaki began to adopt a solemn demeanor as he began to tell his story.

"Well, I guess it started a long time ago, back in grade school. I was always small and not very strong even as a kid and I was always made fun of being weak despite being a man."

"It eventually got to the point where I decided to start dressing up as a girl in order to not have to deal with being made fun of."

"Not to be rude or anything, but wouldn't that just make things more difficult if you were discovered?" Kuwata pointed out.

"I did eventually come to that conclusion as well." Fujisaki confirmed. "But at that point, that same fear is what kept me from revealing the truth. Not only having to go back with dealing with the bullying, but also have to deal with being made fun of because I was dressing as a girl."

"But that's in the past. I'm not going to stay weak anymore! I'm going to continue to train with Kuramoto-kun and get stronger! I'll become so strong that I'll look at my past self and laugh for how foolish I was!" Fujisaki boldly declared.

"Uuuuuurrrrkkkkk. I think I'm gonna be sick!" Monokuma stated, cutting off Fujisaki's little speech. "Since it looks like Fujisaki-kun is done, it's time to move onto the next secret."

 **"Mondo Oowada had killed his own brother!"**

The whole room went cold as soon as those words left Monokuma's mouth. Everyone turned towards the person in question, wondering what exactly Monokuma had meant by what he said.

"The bastard's right..." Oowada begrudgingly agreed. "It's my fault that my big brother had died..."

The class had looks of both fear, sadness and curiosity at Oowada's statement.

"So, what exactly happened?" Kuramoto decided to ask.

"My big brother, Daiya and I...we go way back." Oowada began. "While our mother had some influence on our lives, neither of our parents weren't around very much so we had to lean on each other. It was for this reason that my bro and I started the Crazy Diamondbacks. It brought not just myself and my big bro, but others who suffered from similar lifestyles together."

"Since my big bro was the one in charge of the gang, I was always looked down upon and when the time was comin' that he was planin' to hand over leadership of the gang to me, it only got worse. So, on the night of his retirement, I decided to challenge him to a race in order to show the gang that I could handle leading 'em."

Oowada began shaking. To the observant people in the room, it was clear that whatever happened didn't end well.

"As we were racin', I went into incomin' traffic in the hopes of gainin' an advantage. Unfortunately, I was in the way of a vehicle and jus' as I was about to get hit...my bro pushed me out of the way and…...he got hit instead. Even now, I still remember his last words."

 **Flashback**

"Wh-Whoops….I slipped...Sorry, man." Daiya said weakly. "Hey, bro….I have...one last thing for you... No matter what…...don't let….don't let the gang fall apart. Cuz it's the team….you and Icreated….together. Pr-Promise me….Man's….honor…."

 **End Flashback**

The whole room was stunned into silence as Oowada poured his heart out. Naegi, Yamada, Asahina, Kuwata and Kuramoto were hit the hardest out of the group. The former four due to having siblings they cared deeply about and shuddered thinking about what it would be like to lose them and the latter due to having experienced what it was like for their actions to result in someone's death.

" _He's….a lot more like me than what I expected. Made a family from people all suffering from the lack of actual family as well as one's decision costing them someone that he cared about. I….know that feeling all too well."_ Kuramoto thought.

"In order to keep my promise to my bro, I decided to keep the fact that my actions caused his death a secret to the rest of the group."

"I'm not expectin' you guys to forgive fer acting like a coward but, I couldn't let what my bro did for me to go to waste. So...that's why I..."

"Bro, it's not your fault for what happened." Ishimaru spoke up.

"How could it not be!?" Oowada shouted. "It's cuz I was stupid n reckless that he had to come and save me. If I didn't do that then..."

"NO! I refuse to let you blame yourself for what happened!" Ishimaru asserted. "Your brother wouldn't want you to blame yourself for what happened. He cared about you and wanted to protect, we wouldn't have done what he did if that wasn't the case!"

"Ishimaru-san is right." Kuramoto spoke up, agreeing with Ishimaru. "I...understand what it's like for one's choices to lead to the death of someone you care about. With my experiences, there are two things that I am certain about. One is that I can't change what has happened and two, I know that none of the ones that I've lost would want me to torture myself for their deaths. It never is easy, but it's important to push forward, for their sake, if nothing else."

Oowada looked like he was about to lose himself to tears, both because of sadness, but also because of the relief of having such a heavy burden lifted off his shoulders.

"Thanks, guys. It really means a lot."

"Well, this is depressing, I was hoping for at least something more to happen." Monokuma said, disappointed with the outcome. "Oh well, that's okay. I've saved the best for last."

 **"Mukuro Ikusaba was working with the Mastermind that has been forcing everyone to participate in the Killing Game."**

The entire room was now looking at Ikusaba. Fear, anxiety, betrayal and curiosity were plastered on the faces of everyone to varying degrees.

"I was…. what?" Ikusaba said, confused.

"So, it seems we have had a traitor in our midst this whole time." Celes said darkly.

"I knew someone here was likely a spy for the Mastermind, I just didn't expect them to give away that information so soon." Togami said smugly.

"T-There's no way that's true, r-right, Ikusaba-chan?" Asahina asked.

"Of course, it's not!" Ikusaba denied. "What nonsense are you trying to spout out!? Working with you? Like hell, I'd work with you." she said, pointing at Monokuma.

"Pathetic." Togami sighed. "You get found out and you don't even have the decency to come clean with it."

"I'm serious!" Ikusaba shouted. "I don't know what Monokuma here is talking about. I don't remember agreeing to anything about working with him!"

" _Not remember? Wait a second…."_ Kuramoto pondered.

"Do you really expect anyone to believe you? Especially after everyone else's motives turned out to be the truth." Togami condescendingly pointed out.

"What if she's telling the truth?" Kuramoto inquired.

Everyone looked towards the SHSL Mastermind in curiosity.

"What did you say?" Togami growled out.

"I said, what if Mukuro-chan is telling the truth and she really can't remember?" Kuramoto repeated, ignoring the irritation in Togami's voice and surprising the rest of the group, especially Ikusaba.

"Do you even realize as to how ridiculous you sound right now? Just one individual suffering from memory problems is already farfetched enough. But this is the third person who is supposedly having these problems. There is no way that at least one of you isn't lying!" Togami shouted out.

"True. Regrettably, I can't exactly disprove that one of us isn't being deceitful. But I can prove the very real possibility of engineered amnesia."

"What!? There's no way that-"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Kuramoto interrupted, revealing the related note he found. "I found this when we were investigating the second floor."

Togami took the note and started to read it, his eyes widening at the contents. Quite a few of the other students began to look over his shoulders, curious as to what Togami was looking at. And Togami was not happy with what he was reading.

"So, you "found" a note. That's easy to do if you yourself created the damn thing!" Togami retorted, trying to disprove Kuramoto.

"Actually, I can also confirm that whoever wrote this note isn't among us." Kuramoto said, grinning.

Togami flinched in surprise.

"Have you forgotten already? I already have signatures of everyone due to the Class Trial. See for yourself, if you're still skeptical. Furthermore, since the names were on pen, it would be noticeable if any changes were made to then." Kuramoto continued, taking out the sheet of names he had on him.

Kirigiri took this sheet and held it in a manner that everyone would wanted to see it could.

"He's right." Kirigiri confirmed. "The names written here don't match the handwriting on the note."

"I have to agree with Kirigiri-san on this one." Celes assessed.

"So, it seems that Master Byakuya Togami's accusation is simply wrong." Yamada stated.

"No way, that my Red Knight would blatantly lie about something like that!" Syo backed up.

"It may not be anything conclusive, but it's just like Fumio-kun said. This note, who we know is not from any of us, shows that amnesia can be manually induced." Naegi summarized.

"Even if Kuramoto's suggestion does hold _some_ merit to it." Togami claimed. "That does not change the fact that the chances that all three of them are simply victims is still incredulously low. So low to the point that it would be the height of foolishness to even suggest that!"

"In other words, you are basically stating that one of us, if we are not the Mastermind, we are collaborating with the Mastermind?" Kuramoto spelled out.

"For starters, I'm quite certain that we already established the impossibility of the Mastermind being among us. A fact that was also backed up by Fujisaki-kun." Kuramoto stated, reminding everyone of what was said the first day.

"Furthermore, I myself have been possibly one of the most helpful individuals of the group. Doing a lot of things to keep the group together while also being honest, several times to the point of putting myself at risk by doing so."

Fukawa, Naegi, Oowada and several others all murmured in agreement.

"As for Kirigiri-chan and Mukuro-chan, I have been actively working with Kirigiri-chan to try and uncover the mysteries of the school so there would have been plenty of opportunities for her to mislead me or sell me out to the Mastermind, neither of which has happened so far. As for Mukuro-chan, I have hung out with her several times and while she is quite stoic, she isn't exactly a good liar and could pretty easily be picked apart if pressed. So far as I'm concerned, I see no reason as to why I shouldn't trust these two."

Togami was about to comment, but Kuramoto, expecting a retort, cut them off before he even had a chance to say anything.

"Even I want to play the role of a cynic here, the fact also remains that the only "evidence" that suggests that Mukuro-chan could be working with the Mastermind is that her secret that she was, emphasis on was, working with the Mastermind. Evidence that is questionable at best. And you don't even have anything for myself or Kirigiri-chan. Unless, of course, someone here would like to say to the contrary?"

Nobody said anything, whether it would be out of their inability to answer or because they didn't wish to be torn up like Togami was.

"That's what I thought. Now then, Togami, if you plan on putting others under the spotlight of suspicion, I suggest you go look at a mirror, first." Kuramoto stated, glaring at Togami.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Togami said angrily.

"What is says on the box." Kuramoto replied. "After all, not only does the Togami Conglomerate actually have the resources and influence to pull this off, but furthermore, based on everything we have seen so far, the Mastermind, for whatever reason, has a personal interest towards me. And ever since this motive, you have been going out of your way to arouse suspicion towards myself and my closest allies."

"He does have a point." Celes stated.

"That's...very true. He's been much more hostile towards Kuramoto-kun and the others ever since this motive was introduced." Maizono added.

"I'd say he's been acting _real_ suspicious ever since the start, considering the heavy amount of contempt he's been showing towards all of us!" Kuwata asserted.

"Bro's right, that fucker's being causing nothin' but trouble since day one!" Oowada agreed, cracking his knuckles.

"Of course," Kuramoto continued. "Without proof, my accusation is just that. An accusation. But, if you plan on just tossing accusations around Togami, then it shouldn't be just me and my allies under suspicion."

Togami could only grit his teeth in frustration. Knowing that at this point, any further attempts at an argument were futile. He really hated Kuramoto. Every single time he has been around, he's been nothing but a hindrance and just when's about to get an edge against him, he manages to outwit him. It really grated him that this little nobody that he's only known since the start of this game could so easily outsmart him.

Judging by how no one else was vocalizing any objections or complaints due to these new revelations, it looked like the worst, for the moment, the worst had come to pass.

"Really!? Just some crap shoots worth of words and that's it.?" Monokuma said, annoyed. "Sheesh, talk about disappointing. I mean, the last time someone was under me, a murder occurred."

The room's mood shifted to a dark and irritated mood as Monokuma reminded them of Oogami and her fate.

Monokuma sighed. "It looks like you really have to dig at the bottom of the barrel to find people willingly to help nowadays. I mean, for people to still hold onto such petty and useless motions such as honor, it almost laughable as to how pathetic and easy to control they are."

"What did you just say…?" Asahina spoke out in a dangerous tone.

"Asahina-chan..." Kuramoto said, worryingly.

"What? It's the truth. I mean, how could people be so foolish as to waste not just their lives, but the lives of entire generations guarding some worthless dojo. Someone willing to throw their lives away just for that and the people guarding must be absolutely worthless. Like I said, the bottom of the barrel as far human beings goes." Monokuma continued rambling, disregarding Asahina tone.

"You…...HOW DARE YOU!" Asahina screamed.

After that, she began to bolt towards Monokuma.

"Asahina-chan, wait!" Kuramoto said, running after her to try and stop her.

Kuramoto may be fast, but not fast enough to close the distance between them before she punted Monokuma all the way towards the other side of the gym.

It felt as though time had temporarily stopped for most people in the room. They were horrified at what they saw, not because of what, but what was about was now about to happen.

"Well now, don't we have quite the temper." Monokuma said, getting back up from getting kicked. "Or you really just don't want to live anymore. It doesn't really matter which one it is at this point."

Asahina had paled at the comment. Without the anger and the adrenaline that came with it, the consequences of her lashing out were starting to hit her.

"I'm quite certain that the rules state that violence against the Headmaster is prohibited. I was kinda hoping to avoid any unnecessary causalities, but it looks like an example will be needed after all!" Monokuma said, rather gleefully.

"I invoke the summon spell. Come to me! Spears of Gungir!"

It was then that Kuramoto remembered Sakura's execution and how the spears came from the ground directly below her.

"Move!" Kuramoto shouted as he grabbed Asahina and dived towards the right as far as could. He cast a glance towards the spot they were at see that at least ten spears were where the two of them were just at a moment ago. He sighed in relief as he managed to make it just in time.

"Oh? That's some pretty swift reflexes you have to be able to get out of the way to my Spears of Gungrir. Not that it matters very much." Monokuma said in a tone that sounded like he expected that to happen.

Then, the floor underneath Asahina disappeared and she was about to fall. Fortunately, Kuramoto's reflexes were on point once again and he had managed to grab her hand.

"I gotcha you! Just don't let go!" Kuramoto shouted, starting to pull her back up.

"R-Right." Asahina said, grabbing onto Kuramoto's wrists.

Just as Kuramoto was about to pull Asahina back up to the gym floor, the trap door closed, cleanly slicing off both of Asahina's arms and causing Asahina to begin her descent.

"ASAHINA-CHAN!" Kuramoto shouted.

"Now then, please turn your attention to the monitors to witness Aoi Asahina's punishment." Monokuma announced.

Everyone turned towards the monitor to witness what was going on.

Asahina was seen falling from what looked like to be at least a few floors down into what appeared to be a deep pool that was about 20 meters deep and wide, that became completely enclosed by a steel cage as soon as Asahina landed inside. Asahina swam up to the surface as best as she could, given that her arms were now gone. Unknown to her, but visible via the camera angles to the rest of the class, there were chains that were shooting from the bottom of the pool towards Asahina. They caught her legs and she was dragged back underwater, all the ways towards the bottom of the pool. With the lost air from the surprise of being dragged under and her losing a lot of blood due to her severed arms, she was beginning to lose consciousness.

Unfortunately for her, her executioner has other plans for her. Neither Asahina or the other classmates didn't see it at first, but now, there were multiple gates that were at the sides of the bottom of the pool. And they were filled with hundreds, if not, thousands of red-bellied piranhas. Seeing them frenzy like they were could only mean that they knew that food that was severely injured was nearby and they were famished.

The gates opened and they quickly began began to swarm Asahina and they began to tear into Asahina, piece by piece. She was unable to contain her screams as her flesh was being eaten away by the hungry piranhas. Of course, not a soul could hear them as they were being drowned out. It didn't take long before she stopped moving altogether, whether it was because of the blood loss or because water had flooded her lungs was anyone's guess. About 3 minutes had passed since she stopped moving and the piranhas had finally begun to disperse. All that was left of the person once known as Aoi Asahina was bones, pieces of flesh, hair and a veritable pool of blood.

"..."

Silence had filled the room. No one was certain as to what to say about this. One moment Aoi Asahina was here, among the group. The next, she's literally fish food. Some looked like they were on the edge of tears.

 ***THUD***

Out of everyone, it was Kuramoto who was the most visibly affected by her death. He was now on his knees, unable to contain his sorrow.

"DAMNIT!" Kuramoto screamed as he pounded his fist into the ground.

" _Why!? Why does this keep happening?"_

He pounded his fist into the ground again.

" _Despite all the knowledge, the skills, the strength...everyone I know, everyone I start to care about just ends up dying in front of me. Why can't I stop this! Why can't I save anyone!?"_

He continued to pound his fist, each time the hit became more and more intense until the floor started to give out and his knuckles began to bleed. All the while, grunts and other intangible noises were coming from him.

"GODMANIT!"

" _Why do have to continue to go through this!?"_

"Well now, isn't this the interesting development. Kuramoto-kun attempts to get Asahina-chan out her punishment, but in the end, ends up failing." Monokuma says in a mocking manner. "The despair in the air, it's intoxicating! This was so worth it! I knew making an example out of her was the right call."

There was one of two thoughts going through the minds of those that weren't in an emotional wreck right now. The first was anger towards at Monokuma. On how he had purposefully pressed a sensitive button of Asahina's in the hopes that she would react badly and use it as a justified reason to kill her. The other was that she failed to keep her emotions in check and paid the price for just foolishly attacking him. Whether she deserved to die for that all depends on who you asked.

"Now you guys know. I will not hesitate to end your lives if you try and put up a defiant act. So, if you don't want to end up like food like Asahina-chan, I strongly advise you adhere to the school rules." Monokuma declared sinisterly.

Monokuma then waddled this way towards Kuramoto, who was still distraught by the events that transpired.

"As for you, Kuramoto-kun. I should punish you for this. You were, after all, attempting to interfere with the administration of the rules."

Everyone froze at those words, they already saw one person die. The group was not ready to deal with a second.

"Hold up. There was nothing within the rules that says we couldn't intervene." Kirigiri tried to rebute.

"Maybe so. But in any society, interference with enforcing the law is regarded as law breaking in itself." Monokuma retorted. "

" _Shit!"_ Everyone collectively thought.

Oh, but have no worries. I actually thought of a much more interesting idea than just simply executing Kuramoto-kun as a punishment."

That got everyone's attention. For better or worse, Monokuma announced his verdict to the group.

"As of now, until the next murder occurs, Kuramoto-kun will not be allowed to leave his room. I personally will see to it that it is locked and nobody will be able to either get in or leave. The details involving his incarceration will be within the rules of the e-handbook."

There were looks of both relief and worry among the group. On the upside, they didn't have to worry about losing a second classmate, especially after just seeing one die so soon. On the other hand, they are still losing, arguably, the smartest person in the group as well as the one of the major people that kept the group together.

Togami simply smirked at the proposition.

" _Well, things just got interesting. Perhaps now I'll finally be able to enforce my will with him out of the picture and being unable to do anything about it."_

* * *

 **Location: 4th Floor Hope's Peak Academy, Data Processing Room**

 **Time: 2230**

"To think that even though he doesn't remember me at all, he continues to take me by surprise. He's making faster progress at solving the mysteries of the school than I anticipated. Still, if he keeps at it, he's going to cause problems. As despairing as it would be to see that my plans fall apart, I want to at least see Fumio-chan pushed towards despair to the point of no return first. And wouldn't you know it...fate seems to favor despair today since it has given me the perfect opportunity to do exactly that."

Enoshima began to giggle in excitement. It would be cute, if it wasn't for the fact that it was coming from a psychopath and the reasons behind the giggling were for less than innocent reasons.

"The others can't see it, but I can. That endless black hole of despair that'll consume everything in its path." Enoshima said to herself as she began to drool, thinking about it.

"It's there calling out to me, just waiting to be brought out. His resolve to push forward to carry on in honor of those he has lost is the one thing that's holding it back."

Enoshima sat up, beginning to plan her next move.

"I think it's time I stopped messing around and get serious in dragging Fumio-chan into the unending depths of despair. He may be a bit tougher when compared to the rest of my classmates, but not even he isn't without a weakness. One that now he longer has the means to ignore me, is one that I can exploit."

Maniacal laughter had filled the room as the one responsible for imprisoning the students began to initiate her plans both for her chosen victim and for instigating the next death.

 **Chapter 2: Dark Pasts and Revelations End**

 **Surviving Students: 13**

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

 **Alright, with that the** **story's** **second** **arc** **is at long last finished.** **I don't see very often a chapter that has it that people actually make it through a motive without a murder. But at the same time, I didn't want to have no causalities occur at all or not being any setbacks as a result of the motive. So, hopefully, this will be enough of a cost to offset a murder case.** **On a side note, I do now have Discord up and operational. If you guys are interested, feel free to swing by if you wish to chat. Another Author signing off.**

 **Discord: /cxtjamr**


	19. Bonus Chapter: Rise of the Phoenix

**Author Notes: I figured it was long past overdue that I did another round of clean up with the fic. So, hopefully things are a little bit better formatted and organized. I don't have anything else to add, so enjoy.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **doomqwer:** **It was a bold move, but a necessary one to move the plot and to completely cement the message that** ** _anyone_** **can die in this story. And yeah, Junko's psychopathy is most certainty not unnoticed.**

 **JustUsingARandomName:** **Glad you liked the chapter. And snap that was a missed opportunity. But oh well, there is plenty more despair to go around.**

 **Natsukumo1000:** **Yeah, I figured I'd trying changing things up by having at least a few characters die that canonically survived to send the message that plot armor does not exist here. I am glad you are enjoying the series so far and welcome aboard. I do hope you stick around to the story's conclusion.**

* * *

Amidst the mayhem of the Tragedy, many people and nations have fallen due to the sheer magnitude of anarchy that spread. It was thought by many that the idea of a safe haven would be impossible for the world. Despite how grim things have gotten, not all has been lost. There have been organizations that have stood out as a beacon among the chaos.

There are two major ones that are known to a very large percentage of the world's remaining population. The first major organization is known by most as the Future Foundation, an organization that arose from ex members of Hope's Peak Academy and have been so far have been icons of recovery. But there is another that has been making waves as of recent. They are known by most as simply The Phoenixes. Not a huge amount is known about them for those who aren't within their home, Eiichi City. But what folks do know is that they were a part of the Joint Defense Force stationed at that city. They are famous for their rescue and restoration efforts for many people as well as their overall military might. The one last major thing that people know about them is that they can easily be recognized by the phoenix insignia that they have on their shoulders. While they aren't as well known for being icons of recovery, it is because of their efforts that several smaller towns have been able to be safely built even with the Remnants of Despair still around.

* * *

 **Apr 2, 2011 Eiichi City: Approximately one year from present day**

"So, is this the right direction?"

"Yes, this is what the note had said."

The group was heading towards a home that was within the less developed forest region of Eiichi City, a bit off the beaten path from Eiichi city's Housing District. While many folks would have their homes within the Housing District or somewhere close to their work place, there are others who have their homes that a bit further away from the more developed areas of Eiichi City. Usually, it's either those who prefer a quieter location to live at or as a getaway home. The team was composed of two members of the Phoenixes as well as the members of the Office of Criminal Investigations.

"Still, to think that he would have a home that would be this far away from the developed areas of the city." Takara wandered.

"I'm more surprised about what had happened at our station a few hours ago." Minato inputted.

 **Flashback**

The members of the Office of Criminal Investigations were all appalled as to what had happened yesterday. A rather strange and ominous broadcast had occurred last night and the group was now together trying to discuss its contents.

"W-What the hell was with that broadcast?" Takara asked.

"Do you think it's true what it said? More importantly, do you think that really came from would they said it did?" Tonomi questioned.

"I don't know but-" Minato started.

A cellphone began to ring, but to the surprise of the group, it was coming from their recent contact, Yochi. It was strange, the times that he would call, it would be in advance and this call was out of schedule for the group. Hiroshi, who still held onto the phone that was given to him, decided to answer it.

"Get out of there!" Yochi screamed as soon as Hiroshi picked up the phone.

"Yochi, what's going on?" Hiroshi replied, worryingly.

"You guys have got a lot of people that are heading your way! They are heavily armed and don't look friendly!"

Hiroshi glanced at the window, curious to see what Yochi was referring to. He only just managed to catch it due to his years of work as a detective. About at least one block away, within a window of a three-story building, someone was starting to set up what looked like a rocket propelled grenade.

"Move! We are under attack!" Hirsohi cried out, getting up and quickly moving towards the room's exit.

The others, sensing the urgency in his voice, followed him, quickly exiting the room. Just as everyone managed to get out of it, the grenade had reached its target, causing the room to explode. While they managed to avoid the direct blast, they couldn't escape the debris that the explosion created.

The rest of the station was on high alert after hearing that loud blast. If that wasn't enough, there was now a lot of gunfire that everyone could now hear. The police station and all of the people within its reach was under attack. The culprits appeared to be a large variety of different people all wearing monochrome bear masks. They were not hesitant to indiscriminately kill anyone that was within range. While their numbers were not massive, the element of surprise combined with the fact that the attackers, for the moment, had a firepower advantage, they were easily pushing the officers back.

Hiroshi was just managing to regain consciousness after the explosion. Luckily, neither the blast or the debris had caused any serious injury, but he still found himself to be under pieces of the once attached wall.

"Hiroshi-san, are you ok?" Minato said, finding him.

"Yes. Could use some help, though." Hiroshi requested.

Minato with a little bit of effort managed to get the debris off of him. Once he stood up, he noticed that Takara was kneeling close by Tonomi who was sitting on a wall next to Takara, eyes closed.

"She's still alive and appears to be relatively unharmed, but it looks like the blast knocked her unconscious." Takara inspected.

Hiroshi and Minato both sighed in relief, seeing that everyone within the office was okay.

"What the hell's going on!? Who are these guys?" Takara asked.

"Maybe they are connected to Enoshima-san?" Minato suggested.

"Regardless, they've made the mistake to attack us." Hiroshi declared.

"Takara-kun, keep an eye on Tonomi-chan and keep yourselves out of harm's way. Minato-kun, with me, we are going to assist our officers as much as we can." Hiroshi commanded.

"Roger!" both of them stated before leaving.

Hiroshi and Minato managed to make their way downstairs, towards where the majority of officers were making their stand against the monochrome attackers. Downstairs wasn't faring much better, there was already a ton of bullet holes around the place, plenty of debris covered the floor and several bodies of attackers and officers alike littered the floor.

"Stand your ground!"

"Don't let them advance any further!"

"Just hold out a little longer!"

The police had already taken quite a few losses, they simply did not have the means of going up against people who were armed with assault weapons. In addition to Hiroshi and Minato, the remaining detectives and police officers inside the station were now present and decently organized. It was enough to prevent the attackers from advancing, but it wasn't enough to actually start pushing them back.

Unfortunately for the attackers, they had overlooked one important detail. They were assaulting a police station and not just any police station, one that is within a city that is very close with its military. As the firefight continued, the attackers noticed too late that reinforcements were arriving in the form of police patrol cars as well as military vehicles and even worse, they were now surrounded. Being outflanked and outnumbered, the assaulters had begun to fall apart before the newfound might of the police and military. Seeing that there was no way to win, the now remaining few people in monochrome masks threw down their weapons and put their arms up in surrender.

The police and military personnel began to get inch closer towards the now defenseless attackers. At first they seemed to be fairly complaint, following the instructions to get onto the floor, hands behind the head, the usual procedures for capturing folks. However, once it was time for the person who appeared to be leading the attack to do the same, he immediately dropped to the ground, hands over his stomach.

"Put your hands were they can be seen!" The officer closest to him shouted.

The person didn't comply. Unknown to them, the person took advantage of their brief inability to see his stomach region and pressed a button hidden on him. A beeping sound could now be heard by everyone that was close by to a masked attacker.

"Move! The masks are set to blow!" One of the military personnel yelled out as loud as he could.

Those who could hear the person moved out of the way just in the nick of time, the rest were caught in the radius as the mask went up killing all of the attackers and removing the head and making the corpse of those already dead nearly indistinguishable. With that the attack ended just as quickly as it began, with several civilians, officers and a few military personnel all dead with absolutely no idea as to who attacked the station or why.

 **End Flashback**

"I still can't figure out what the hell is going on? If what's being told across the new channels is the truth, there are things like this happening all over the entire planet." Takara continued off.

"If Enoshima-san is behind this, then it's little wonder why Kuramoto-kun was so worried about her from the beginning." Minato deduced.

"Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure this more than warrants an emergency, a perfect chance to see what exactly this safe place is, just as a precaution if nothing else." Hiroshi concluded.

"Guys, we're here." Tonomi announced to the group.

The place a house that was only about one thousand square feet, a single story. It had a small, but quaint feeling to it. Particularly because of the home in question had the design of an overall old fashioned Japanese home, but with modern materials and construction. Combined with the serene location the home was in, it gave off the impression of a safe sanctuary.

"Is this it?" one of the Phoenixes asked.

"Yes, it is." Hiroshi responded. "Knowing him, he likely has something within his place that he wants us to see. Let's search the place."

The group wasted no time in beginning their search of the area. The two soldiers decided to search the exterior and the perimeter of the home while Hiroshi and co. decided to search inside the house. Hiroshi, taking the lead, inserted the key that he received from Kuramoto and unlocked the house. After that, the four of them began their search. The house itself was pretty simple, as was expected of Kuramoto. He never was a kind of person who was extravagant so he always stuck to the basics. An entrance way, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, a study and a bedroom. After spending nearly 20 minutes of searching, the group didn't find anything of significance that could indicate that the place was anything more than a basic house.

"While this place is a good distance away from several other homes and is in good condition, there's nothing that suggests that this place is any different from any other home." Minato assessed, trying to figure out what to do next.

Hiroshi and Tonomi were stumped as well. They figured there would be more to this place than just simply a quiet home, but they also knew that Kuramoto wouldn't make it easy to random individuals to find.

Takara was currently inspecting the key that Kuramoto gave him. Upon a closer inspection, it was a Abloy key, one whose locks where known for being impossible to lock pick. What was a bit strange and was currently bugging Takara was the somewhat peculiar design of the key. It had yellow paint on the side that was used to open the door, but once Takara got a closer look at the doorknob, he noticed that the it had a unique trait.

" _Either side of the key can be inserted into the knob? I wonder…."_

Takara inserted the key into knob in the opposite this time and it went in without any trouble. Once he turned the key, it didn't do anything as expected. But what Takara did not expect was upon turning the key the opposite direction, another lock appeared to be unlocking. This had caused the floor near the entrance way to move and after a few seconds, a new floor came up and replaced it, attached with bars that created a circle around the floor, giving one an impression that this was a platform meant to function as an elevator. The others, hearing the soft mechanical noises rushed over to the source, now noticing the change in the entrance way.

"Fumio-kun always did say that the best hiding spots are always in plain sight." Takara said, trying to explain what happened.

Minato quickly went to go get the Phoenixes that were still searching the premises to let them know of the discovery. Once everyone was there, Takara pressed a button that was found on the bars of the elevator and it began to descend. It took about twenty seconds for the elevator to come to a stop. Once it stopped, the group found themselves within an underground corridor of some type. None of them could see very well due to the place being very dark.

Once they stepped off the platform, the corridor began to lit up, revealing a door that was made out of a very sturdy metal and right next to was a small control panel that had a lock identical to the doorknob above it. Seeing the lock, Takara took the key he had and inserted it into the lock the same way he used to access the elevator. The control panel began to blink stating to not remove the key and after a few moments of waiting, the control panel emitted a green glow, showing that the key was accepted.

" _Access key accepted. Opening door and disabling countermeasures."_ An AI voice announced.

The door began to open and what was inside shocked all six people within the group. It was as though they stepped out of reality and into a sci fi movie. The place gave off a futuristic vibe. The current room was brightly lit with white covering all the walls and floor. The main area that that could be seen had a few tables, chairs as well as a TV, computer and radio. Just out of view were two hallways that were straight ahead and to the left. A kitchen could be seen to the right with even a bar counter and bar stools.

"Woah." Takara said in awe.

"He just gave us a place like this?" Tonomi added.

"I was wondering where all of his money was going to. Seeing that he wasn't improving on his living conditions, I was a bit suspicious but...I never would have expected this." Minato commented, just as surprised as the rest of the group.

"Alright then, let's do a search of the area and see what we can find." Hiroshi instructed, staying on top of things.

The team split up and began searching the area as well. Just like the house, it wasn't a very big area but it did have a bit more room to work with than the house above. Aside from the previously mentioned rooms, the place also had a greenhouse that was currently inactive, a room that had 10 beds inside it, a study area that had a ton of books, a lot of the books noticeably looked like they were related to things necessary to build a civilization (i.e. making an economy, setting up a mass scale crop system, creating sound buildings), two rooms that would allow one to check up and repair the power and water supply respectively, one room that was an infirmary. The last and largest room was one that looked like a workshop. The things that struck out the most in that room was the two large machines in the left and right of the workshop. Unfortunately, it was a bit difficult to tell what exactly they were to those who were not very tech savvy.

Upon searching the main room that everyone had split off, Hiroshi had noticed right away that there was some kind of note that was on top of one of the tables.

* * *

 _If you are reading this, then that means things must be pretty bad right now. Allow me to explain what exactly this location is. I pooled together all the resources I had to have this place built in the event that my past would be discovered and world powers would resort to extreme measures in order to get rid of me. This place has all the most up to date emergency shelter requirements from a self-sustaining power supply that will last up to a least a decade, to a water supply that gathers rainwater and ocean water, filtering them out to drinking water, to an automated greenhouse that is capable of producing enough to feed at least 10 people to name a few. But perhaps the most important thing that I preserved here is the two devices that are in the workshop room. The first is a cloning machine, capable of being able to duplicate any raw material, regardless of what it is. The second is the most advanced 3d printer currently known. Capable of being able to print out any material as long as the item in question has been scanned prior. I have left tools, instructions and blueprints oh both devices as well as everything here in the shelter for both maintenance and duplication purposes should the need arise._

 _Fumio Kuramoto_

* * *

Hiroshi stood there, processing what he had learned. This entire place was designed in case got bad for him and furthermore, it looked like he had managed to acquire some very impressive pieces of tech and the means of being able to recreate them. To say that this was one hell of a surprise would be a significant understatement.

"This place is incredible!" Takara said, returning from his search.

"It looks like Kuramoto-kun invested a ton of time and resources building this place." Minato assessed.

"We have everything that we would need in order to survive here for a very long time, should we need this place." Tonomi concluded.

"It looks like he left a note for us." Hiroshi said, passing down the note he found.

"A-Amazing! A fully operational cloning machine and a 3d printer as well?" Takara said in disbelief.

"We need to report these findings to our higher ups." The phoenixes stated.

"Please do." Hiroshi agreed. "I have a feeling if things are going to get as ugly as they are, we are going to need all the edge we can get."

 **One day later**

Ever since the attack on the police station, many of Eiichi City's citizens have been in a state of panic. It certaintly hasn't helped that many other areas of the world have undergone similar attacks. Hence why the current major of Eiichi City, Isamu Kazuki has called forth a meeting involving Colonel Genkei Haruto, the current commander of the 274 Joint Defense Force, Asuka Hayate, the current Chief of Police and the direct secretary of the Kazuki, Tsubame Kohaku.

"Hayate-san. Have you managed to find anything about the attack? About who was responsible or the reason behind the attack?" Kazuki asked.

"No, sir." Hayate answered. "We haven't found anything that leads to a motive or the individual that organized the attack. If anything, it comes back to the same conclusion that was drawn from the start. The person responsible for attacking the station was the one who triggered the detonation of all the masks. And all leads towards a motive died with him."

Kazuki simply groaned and put his head down and his hands on his head in agitation.

 _"Great. We still have no leads so that means no real way or assuring the public's safety. If things don't turn around and soon, this city might end up becoming like the rest of the world."_

"Kazuki-san, while it's not related to the station attack, I do come bearing some good news." Colonel Haruto chimed in.

Kazuki lifted his face, now interested in the colonel's news.

"When some of my men accompanied those detectives towards the location they wanted to check out, they discovered something of value. It turns out that there is a cloning machine capable of copying any raw material as well as a powerful 3d printer being able to make just about anything."

"Really?" Kazuki said, both shocked and curious.

"A research team is going over the finer bits of it now, but yes that seems to be the case." Haruto confirmed.

Kazuki breathed out a sigh of relief.

"That's the best news I have received within the past two days."

"So, it looks like the conclusion that my Criminal Investigation team has drawn was correct after all." Chief Hayate declared pridefully.

"That appears to be the case." the colonel agreed.

"This is great, we just might be able to keep things from getting out of control." Kazuki said.

"General Haruto, I don't know if you have any plans, but I would suggest amplifying the cities defenses and begin scrutinizing who comes into the city." Kazuki suggested.

"Chief Hayate, continue to see if you can find any leads towards the attackers. If you still can't find anything, have your officers continue their usual duties and have them help out our soldiers whenever possible."

"Understood."

"Kohaku-san. Please let the citizens know that I will be speaking to them soon about the current situation."

"Yes, sir." Kohaku stoically stated.

 _"It never is an easy day for me. But as long as I can keep this city safe, I will do whatever is deemed necessary."_

* * *

 **Author Notes: That's it for the second bonus chapter. An introduction to an entirely new faction plus a bit of insight towards what happened to the team Kuramoto was a part of** **prior to attending Hope's Peak** **. I hoped you enjoyed and will see you guys on the next part. Another Author out!**

 **Discord: /cxtjamr**


	20. Arc 3 Part 1: A New Road to Despair

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Notes: For those of you interested, the new cover photo is an image of Fumio Kuramoto that I had managed to create.** **Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites and I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter.**

 **Arc** **3** **:** **The Path to a Soldier's Despair**

 **Location: ?**

 **Time: ?**

Once more, Kuramoto's vision was limited to the endless blanket of darkness. He subconsciously knew that he was another dream. He tried to do everything he could to get out of it. Running, closing his eyes trying to wake up, pinching himself. Nothing was working and no matter what he tried to do to leave the place he was stuck in this plane of unending darkness.

 _"No….not again! Why!? Why can't I be left alone!?"_

Kuramoto knew what was coming, but unfortunately for him it didn't make the situation

"Why?" A voice asked.

" _I'm not gonna look."_ Kuramoto thought to himself, trying to ignore the voice and not bothering to turn around.

"Why!?" The voice repeated.

" _No, sir. It's not there, if I just leave it alone, it will go away eventually."_ Kuramoto denied, vainly pretending the voice wasn't there.

" **WHY!?"** the voice shouted loudly.

Kuramoto instinctively shut his eyes and plugged his hear after that scream. That was all was needed to happened because as soon as Kuramoto opened his eyes again he screamed and stumbled back at the site before him.

The thing he saw was the very first girl that he had killed. She was floating there at his eye level. The same knife that he had used to pierce her heart was still there lodged into her. Her wound both looked and smelled like fresh blood and her eyes that were once filled with the desire to live were now as blank and empty as a bottomless pit.

"Why did you do that to me? I wanted to live too. Why do you get to live while I died?" She asked in a monotone voice.

Kuramoto immediately turned around to try and run, but he bumped into another person.

It was Grizzly.

His whole body was covered in burns and phosphorus gel. Most of his body that wasn't totally scorched was bloodied red with a lot of the blood being almost black. There was even quite a bit of white on his many wounds due to the burns going as deep as bone.

"You knew what was going to end up happening. What would happen if we found out rebelling. Why didn't pay attention to the signs that they were catching on?" Wolf demanded to know.

It was then that the rest of Kuramoto's original team showed. All of the likewise appearing in their grotesque forms from their gruesome. Unlike Grizzly, Wolf looked like he had a lot more through burns to his body since a lot more of his flesh was more thoroughly charred and even white due to the burns going all the way to the bone. Rose had lost most of her face to the point of it either being charred or bone, her eyes had completely melted leaving only a paste with blood mixed in where the eye sockets are at. Ice had suffered the worst upper body damage out of the entire group, much of her torso being blood red and black. In fact, if she had shown up alone, chances are Kuramoto wouldn't have even recognized her.

"Weren't you supposed to be our leader? How could you not see that they were planning to get rid of us?" Wolf condemned.

"What were you thinking sending us alone? You should have known that we would have been far easier to pick off." Ice accused.

"Didn't you say that we would make it out together? Why did you leave us?" Rose asked.

"I..." Kuramoto tried to say.

But no matter how hard he tried, the words that he wanted to say wouldn't come out. It was being drowned out by his inability to answer and the fact that all of them were practically radiating hatred and malice and he knew why. They hated the fact that he was still alive, they hated the fact that here he was alive and well while their lives were unjustly cut short. No matter he wanted to, no matter how much he wanted to tell them that he did what could, he internally knew that there was no reasoning with them. Not when they were getting closer and there malicious intent was glowing like a lightbulb within the darkness.

" _They are not real. They are not real. They are not real. They are not real."_ Kuramoto repeated like a mantra, trying to calm down.

He took off once more to try and escape the grasp of the malicious entities that were taking the form of these people, but before he knew it he was standing in front other anyone person.

It was Hagakure, he was exactly as he was when he was killed. A kitchen knife was lodged into his stomach and his neck was broken and covered in blood from the glass ball that he was killed with.

"Why didn't you help me? Had you come along to search with me, I would have never died." Hagakure asserted.

"He's right, you know." two voices said at the same time.

Kuramoto turned around to find Oogami and Asahina. Oogami still had the spears that she was impaled with just before she got crushed by the spotlight. Asahina showed up both with her lost arm and was covered in the many bite marks she had all over her body just before she was killed. All of which was covered in fresh blood.

"Why do you continue to try to be a leader when you are powerless? You couldn't even stop the first murder, much less my own death." Sakura pointed out.

"It was because of your failure that I died." Asahina pitched in.

"I just….I just….." Kuramoto tried to speak up again.

But once more, he couldn't find the words that he wanted to say. It was those the atmosphere of this place was crushing any sense of being able to response, of being able to fight back against these accusations.

The corpses continued to get closer and closer, creating a circle. Kuramoto tried to run, but he had realized too late that he was entirely surrounded. They were desperately trying to grab Kuramoto as though he was the only source of life left in this dark void. Kuramoto was trying his best to fight them off, but with so many of them grabbing at him all at once, he was fighting an uphill battle. It was then that Kuramoto had realized that he was beginning to sink into what could only be described as a puddle of melted flesh. He did his best to not scream as he felt his own flesh be in searing pain as it melt and join with the puddle of flesh.

"Join us."

"Feel our pain."

"Suffer as we suffered."

"Perish."

"Die."

No matter how much Kuramoto tried to prevent himself from sinking, he just kept sink further and further into the melted flesh, increasing his agony and fear with each centimeter that he sunk. Cornered, being commanded to die and being slowly melted alive, Kuramoto had lost all level of composure as he delivered an unrestrained scream of absolute pain and terror.

 **Location: Hope's Peak Academy, Kuramoto's Room**

 **Time: 0645**

Kuramoto had woken up with a jolt from yet another nightmare he had experienced. No matter how many times he had them, each one was just as horrible as the last. All of this had started ever since he had lost his original team, roasted alive like meat in a barbecue. In the past, these nightmares would get so bad to the point on where he would resort to pharmaceuticals just to try and get a good night's sleep. Of course, such a thing was nowhere to be found within this school. Ever since Asahina had died, the nightmares had returned and they were even worse than what he remembered. It was one more person that Kuramoto had failed to save; another that Kuramoto could only watch as their lives were ended before him, one more thing to add to Kuramoto's ever growing list of regrets. He just sat there in his bed for several minutes, crying. About this killing game, about the many people that he has lost so far, about how the pain and regret will not go away. He let out all of his misery out in the open. Only that there was nobody there to comfort him, nobody to tell him that things will get better. The only company that he's had for the past several days that has stuck around for anything longer than a minute was the person responsible for trapping him here in the first place.

" _No way I'm going to be able to back to sleep after that, I might as well get up."_

Kuramoto got up and headed towards the restroom to trying and wake himself up. Looking at his mirror, it was even worse than the last time he took a good at himself. Huge bags were under his eyes, his face looked like he hadn't seen light in days and upon a closer look, his dark hair was actually starting to lose just a little bit of its color.

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

" **Ahem, this is a school announcement. Goooood mooorning, everyone! It is now 7AM! Nighttime is now over! Get ready to greet another beaaauutiful day!"**

" _*Sigh*. I can't really go anywhere since this room has effectively been digitally locked, preventing me from leaving it. Not to mention, even if I did, I would definitely get killed…I guess I'll just have to wait until breakfast comes."_

Kuramoto simply took a book and began to read, trying to distract himself from the nightmare as he waited for food to arrive. About forty minutes had passed when the door to his room had opened. It was Kirigiri, she had brought him a tray of food.

"Good morning, Kuramoto-kun." Kirigiri greeted.

"Good morning, Kirigiri-chan." Kuramoto greeted back.

Kirigiri set the tray on top of the desk.

"Thank you." Kuramoto thanked.

Kirigiri took a quick moment to take a look at him.

"Another nightmare?" Kirigiri simply asked.

Kuramoto just simply answered with a nod.

Kirigiri stood silent for a moment before speaking up again.

"I know you may grow tired of hearing this but, know that none of us blame you for Asahina-san death or anyone else."

With that said, Kirigiri turned around to leave Kuramoto's room.

"Kirigiri-chan." Kuramoto spoke up as soon as Kirigiri began to turn the door.

Kirigiri had stopped, acknowledging that she had heard him.

"I just want to say that regardless of how things turn out, it's been awesome to have you as an ally through all of this…..Kyoko-chan." Kuramoto stated, taking a fairly bold action.

Kirigiri turned around, looking directly at Kuramoto's eyes.

"The feeling is mutual, Fumio-kun." Kirigiri replied, giving a slight indication of a grin.

With that last remark, Kirigiri had left the room. Both of them knew that she wanted to stay a little bit longer, but there was nothing that they could do about it. Not with that new rule that was added shortly after he was escorted back to his room.

* * *

 **Rule 1** **4** **:** **Until the next murder occurs, Fumio Kuramoto is not allowed to leave his room. Furthermore, only students that will allowed to enter his room are the people who take up the Cafeteria Cleaning Chore and they will** ** _only_** **be allowed inside to bring him food and nothing else. They will be forced out after two minutes.**

* * *

Because of that rule, Kuramoto has had little contact with anyone over the past several days.

"Awww..isn't that cute! The Kuramoto x Kirigiri route has completed yet another flag."

Except for Monokuma, of course, who seemed to be hell bent on bothering and irritating Kuramoto every chance it got.

Kuramoto had decided to ignore the monochrome bear and picked up a book about ancient warfare strategy and tactics. Kuramoto knew that the bear was trying to bait a reaction so he wouldn't give it one.

"Hey! Don't ignore your headmaster!" Monokuma declared.

Kuramoto continued to not respond to Monokuma's outcries, drowning out its voice and forcing himself to focus on his book.

"That's it! If you are going to be so disrespectful, then it looks like I'll have to add a new rule." Monokuma declared as he started to pull out a mechanical device seemingly out of nowhere.

"Are you going to tell me why you have decided to bother me? Or are you just going to stand there continuing your little tirade." Kuramoto finally answered.

"You know, there's a special place in hell for those who are disrespectful to their elders." Monokuma said.

"Look, can you just get on with it. I hate having my time wasted." Kuramoto replied, doing his best to hide his increasing irritation.

"What? Can't a headmaster have a bit of a chat with his favorite student?" Monokuma asked.

"Now what nonsense are you trying to spout?" Kuramoto stated, having enough of attempt to be subtle with his emotions. "You've been consistently targeting me whenever making remarks and comments even before being confined to my room. What game are you trying to play here?"

"I've already told you and the group before, haven't I? What I want is despair." Monokuma answered. "And you, Kuramoto-kun have the highest potential for it, far greater than anyone else here."

"What are you talking about?"

"You can try to hide it as much as you want, but I know you Kuramoto-kun." Monokuma declared. "Far better than those so-called friends you have. Both here and in the outside world. You try to hide it from everyone, but the truth is that you are far more torn up about the loss of your teammates and classmates than what you let on. You harbor guilt from every single person death's you couldn't prevent. It tears and eats at you to no end. That's why those nightmares occur every night that you fall asleep. You can't let go of their deaths andyour subconscious mind reacts accordingly. To put it simply, your own subconscious makes an active effort to torment your conscious mind."

Kuramoto simply glared at Monokuma while trying to take in the information that he was given. Whoever was controlling Monokuma wasn't joking. They certainly knew him a lot more than he could have imagined and the words they we saying spoke truthfully. No matter how much Kuramoto wanted to deny it.

"Your will is symbolically similar to a dam. It's been keeping all of the despair that you keep hidden within your heart at bay. But, it can only last so long. It's already beginning to crack and eventually, it will break open entirely and the day that it does, you will permanently plunge into an unending tide of despair."

"That's what I like about so much, Kuramoto-kun. You are not only smart enough to push even me to my limits, but your amount of despair that you have within you that's just waiting to be unleashed is extraordinarily high. Which is all the more reason why I can't wait for the day you reach your Despair Horizon Event." Monokuma finished.

With those words, Monokuma had left, leaving Kuramoto to ponder its words.

" _Who the hell is this person and h_ _ow the_ _do they_ _know me so well!? First they knew about my past as an ex-soldier and now they know enough about me to piece together_ _the internal struggles I carry? Granted, the previous nights probably would have allowed the mastermind controlling this game to at least make a guess but, this is going well beyond a simple guess and into a full psychological profile."_

Kuramoto was desperately trying to figure out who out there could possibly possess that information and have the talent to learn all about him so easily. But with every person he came across, he kept hitting dead ends. It was really starting to make him paranoid.

* * *

Kirigiri had returned to the kitchen alongside with the rest of the students after she handed Kuramoto his food. After she got back, both Naegi had went straight to Kirigiri to see what she had learned of him.

"How is he, Kirigiri-san?" Naegi asked, wanting to know he was holding up.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it. He's being doing terrible. He's been consistently be having nightmares ever since Asahina-sa had died. Furthermore, if I had to guess, adding that with the isolation has started to take a heavy toll on him."

The room's overall atmosphere had darkened a bit after hearing that. Nearly everyone in the room at the very least had some level of respect or admiration for Kuramoto. Even if they did not, it was hard not to feel at least a little bit of sympathy for him, considering that he had taken Asahina's death the hardest out of everyone.

"What about on your end with Ikusaba-san?" Kirigiri asked Naegi.

"She seems to doing ok, giving the little bit I've been able to figure out during the brief visits. But she's always been happy to see me whenever I have shown up. No real mention of Monokuma unlike with Fumio-kun."

"Interesting, it really seems that Monokuma has it out for him in particular for some reason. But nevertheless, it seems that Ikusaba-san fairly well, all things considered." Kirigiri responded.

"Yeah." Naegi said, remember exactly how Ikusaba ended up in the same conditions as Kuramoto.

 **Flashback**

Everyone was still frozen in place as to what had happened. In the blink of an eye, Asahina was killed and in a most brutal manner as well. Adding to that, until the next murder occurs, Kuramoto will be gone as well.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for? The truth has been brought out, the meeting's adjourned." Monokuma said, appearing as soon as Kuramoto left, escorted by another Monokuma.

The brief message was enough to awaken the students from their fear and shock.

They group began to disperse and was about to turn in for the night, until someone had spoken.

"Hold up, we aren't done just yet."

It was Togami who had spoken up. The group turned around, curious to know what exactly he was talking about.

"Have you imbeciles forgotten already? We have a traitor in our midst." Togami declared, directing his gaze at Ikusaba.

"I already told you, I have no memory of collaborating with-" Ikusaba tried to repeat.

"That doesn't matter. Even if we go off the absurd notion that you actually _are_ telling the truth, it does not change the fact that you did work with the Mastermind in the past. Whose to say that you won't do it again?"

No one voiced an objection. No matter how much of a prick he was for bringing this topic back up after Kuramoto had left, he still had a point.

"That ear-grating, self-proclaimed genius might be willing to risk our lives to blindly trust you, but I will not. I refuse to let that fool's lack of sensibility be the end of me."

"T-That's uncalled for!" Naegi shouted.

Togami looked towards Naegi in surprise for the out of character reaction.

"It's one thing if you're not willing to trust Ikusaba-san, but don't go dragging Fumio-kun back into the conversation!"

"So, you're willing to allow yourself to be manipulated him. A person that we just learned is nothing more than just a killing machine? Even from someone such as yourself I'd-"

"Enough! I won't stand here and let you talk badly about him just because you have a personal problem with him!" Naegi retaliated in an uncharacteristically forceful tone, throwing the rest of the students off guard.

"While I do agree that Togami-kun dragging Kuramoto-kun into the conversation is distasteful," Celes spoke up. "But he does have a point. Ikusaba-san's trustworthiness has yet to validated and if she had worked for the Mastermind in the past, it would be quite problematic if she rejoined them."

"I hate to have to admit, but the chick has a point." Oowada inputted.

"What!? But Bro..." Ishimaru tried to say.

"Look, it's not as though I want to doubt Ikusaba-chan." Oowada stated. "I trust Kuramoto-kun and his judgments, he did save my life after all. But, it is a risk and a very great one at that to not at least put Ikusaba-chan loyalties to the test."

The rest of the room had remained quiet regarding the situation. Kirigiri, Maizono and Fukawa in particular stood silent, knowing that they weren't exactly in a position to be making a judgment call. The rest were either afraid to speak up or otherwise didn't want to add anymore fuel to this fire that was being started.

"If it will prove that I'm your guy's side, then I'll accept whatever actions you decide to take under the condition that it will last as long as Fumio-kun's incarceration." Ikusaba spoke up.

"What? But Ikusaba-san-" Naegi tried to object.

"It's alright, Naegi-kun." Ikusaba reassured. "It will only be temporary after all and besides, I know that neither you or Fumio-kun would want us to fight amongst ourselves."

"Are there any objections to these conditions?" Ikusaba turned around, asking the group.

No one had spoken up against Ikusaba's suggestion and a few people in the group were starting to regret their decision of either remaining silent or speaking against her.

"Monokuma!" Togami yelled out.

"Jeez, you guys are _still_ around even after I told you that you didn't need to be here?"

"Can you have arranged so that Ikusaba-san is under the same punishment as Kuramoto?" Togami requested.

"So, you're really not planning on letting the matter go, eh?" Monokuma asked to the annoyance of Togami.

"Very well, if you guys are certain then I'll make it so Ikusaba-chan suffers the same fate as Kuramoto-kun."

 **End Flashback**

It still got on Naegi's nerves that he had couldn't do anything about the decision. Two of his friends, one of which he owed his life to, were confined and there was nothing he could do it.

"T-There isn't much that can be d-done now." Fukawa added. "W-We'll just have to wait until f-for them to come back."

"I-I guess you're right." Fujisaki agreed.

"My god! You guys are boring!" Monokuma shouted out, appearing in front of the group.

"Seriously! I'm losing brain cells watching you guys stumble around to no end!"

"D-Don't sneak up on us l-like that!" Fukawa shouted.

"Now the hell you want from us!?" Oowada demanded to know.

"I'm just expressing my sheer and utter boredom that another murder hasn't occurred. I mean, sheez. One would think that would have happened by now considering that the smartest and strongest of the group are not able to intervene." Monokuma answered.

"Of course we wouldn't!" Both Ishimaru and Naegi said at the same time.

"Yes, yes, yes. Spare me the little hope speech you two are doubtless going to go on." Monokuma said, cutting off the two of them.

"Anyways, since it's getting quite boring watching the rest of you scramble around doing the same thing over and over again. I've decided to go ahead and unlock the next floor for you guys. Now, do me a favor and disperse before I start getting bald patches!" Monokuma announced before leaving the group.

" _Another floor?"_ Naegi thought to himself.

"It looks like Master Monokuma has given us a new area to search." Yamada commented.

"Even if we can't find any means of escape, we might end up learning something new." Fujisaki added.

"Well, if he's going to give us a new place to explore, then let's not waste anytime in searching around!" Ishimaru declared.

With that said, the group went their own separate ways to check out the new school floor. Sure enough, just like Monokuma had said, the shutters that blocked the 3rd floor were now open. Once Naegi had reached the top of the stairs, he headed towards the room that was closest to him.

It was a recreation room, a place where students would usually take a break at presuming this place was a normal school. It had a shogi board, Othello, darts and even a billiards. It also had a large variety of magazines on the rack. Celes and Oowada were already within the room.

"This is quite the interesting room." Celes pointed out.

"You're right, I would have never expected a place like this to be inside a school." Naegi agreed.

"Normally, you wouldn't. But yet here it stands."

"That ain't entirely true." Oowada stated. "Private schools will have 'em from time to time. Given that the students are expected to live in the place and all that."

"I'm surprised Oowada-kun, I wouldn't have expected you to have know that, given your history." Celes remarked.

"Cut me slack, would ya? Jus' cuz I lead a gang doesn't meant I don't know anything." Oowada shot back. "I ended up learnin' that bit from some of my crew. Quite a few of 'em were forced to attend a private school by family members of theirs."

"I may not be the smartest nor patience person out there, but you'd be surprised as to the amount you can learn by hearing someone's story." Oowada finished.

"Anyways," Celes continued. "Monokuma was here earlier. While the magazine are available for us to read, we won't be getting any new material." Celes sounded disappointed at the end of that.

Seeing all that was to see, Naegi decided to exit the recreation room and continue his search of the 3rd floor. The next room that he came across that was unique to the floor was looked like to be an art room. It was fairly easy to tell due the heavy amount of paintings and sculptures that were in the room. Yamada, Kuwata and Maizono were already within the room.

"This is quite the establishment. Not only are there a ton of painting supplies, but there's a ton of sculpting tools as well."

"I may not be all that invested into art, but I can appreciate for what it is, given my background." Maizono added, taking a look around the room.

"So, you are into sculpting Yamada-kun?" Naegi asked.

"Well, I'm mostly interested in the 2d world, but I often find inspiration within the 3d world to work with every now and again. I personally find myself mostly fascinated with figurines above all else."

"That's quite the surprise. I'd never expected you'd find interest in anything outside of your doujin." Kuwata remarked.

"Just because I value the 2d world doesn't mean I can't appreciate the 3d one as well. After all, it's only by understanding the 3d we all live in is when you are truly able to perfect the craft of creating the 2d world."

"I….never thought of it like that." Naegi said.

"Well of course," Yamada said. "Most people tend to get the wrong impression of doujin because it involves pornographic material and people automatically assume that's all there it to it. The truth is that it's not. I've told you guys on the first day that embracing our basest urges is the deep meaning behind my work. While the obvious meaning can be there and have created my fair share of materials involving that subject, most of the doujin I writing about is instead talking to embrace our inner callings as human beings. To not allow ourselves to be chained by the expectations of others or what one's true calling in life is."

All three of them just simply stared at Yamada, once more surprised by his answer.

"You all seemed surprised. In order for a doujin to really be appreciated by your audience and to get very far, you have to have both be good at drawing and storytelling. Otherwise, you will just fall to the wayside."

After Yamada had finished his speech, both Kuwata and Maizono had left the room, completed with their search. The only thing that was worth noting about the art room was that there was another door within the art room that led to the storage room which contained all of the aforementioned painting and sculpting supplies that was mentioned earlier.

With nothing else of interest, Naegi left the art room and made his way to the next unique room on the 3rd floor. In accordance to the e-handbook map, it was the physics lab, but even to the untrained eye, it looked to be much closer to a research lab instead of one that was used for students. Fujisaki was already within the lab itself.

"This place does give the impression of being a research lab over a classroom." Naegi agreed.

"I'm curious as to what this machine is doing here." Fujisaki pointed out to the machine in the center of the room. The machine was enormous, taking up a good chunk of the room and reaching all the way to the ceiling.

"You have found it!" Monokuma declared, coming out of nowhere.

"Huh?"

"You wanna know this little machine here, don't cha?" Monokuma asked. "Well, to put it quite simply. It's an air purifier."

"Air purifier?" Naegi repeated.

"That's right! This is the big reason as to why the air that you breathe is all nice and clean." Monokuma confirmed.

"So, I'd advise against poking around it. You might end up breaking it and I doubt any of you have the mechanical expertise to fix it." Monkuma finished, leaving the scene.

" _It's really just an air purifier? He did go a bit out of his way to ensure that we wouldn't mess with it, but why?"_ Naegi thought to himself.

Fujisaki was staring at the machine, looking like he was trying to figure something out.

"Is something wrong, Fujisaki-san?" Naegi asked.

"Hmmmmmmmm…..something about this machine is bugging me." Fujisaki replied.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that why do we need this? I mean, it's nice that we can have fresh air but, do we really need it?" Fujisaki said, a bit unsure.

"….."

"Sorry, maybe I'm just overthinking things a bit." Fujisaki said, giving up on the train of thought.

" _Fujisaki-san does raise a point. Why would we need this machine?"_

" _I guess the school must really value clean air or something. Otherwise, I can't think of a reason."_

In the back of the room was the prep room for the physic lab, there were quite a lot of materials that could be used for the lab, but otherwise nothing that would catch one's eye at a first glance. However, as soon as Naegi was about ready to turn around and leave, he spotted something on one of the shelves. It looked like to be a ripped article of some kind. While there were several parts of it that looked to be blacked out, there was still a good chunk of it that could still be read.

* * *

 **Cataclysmic Broadcast**

 _Ever since the broadcast has taken place, there has been widespread chaos that's been going nonstop. There have been very few-. The broadcast occurred about one year ago. Most people have called the results of the broadcast as simply The Tragedy. It has-. There have been few places affected by it-. The only thing that we can hope for is that-._

* * *

That was the last bit that Naegi could read before the article was torn from whatever paper it was originally a part of.

Naegi just stood there after reading, trying to rack his brain around what he just read.

" _A broadcast that occurred about a year ago? And it resulted in The Tragedy? I don't understand this at all...I should bring this to the others, maybe they might have an idea as to what this might mean."_

With the article in hand, Naegi left the physics lab. The last bit of the 3rd floor contained classrooms that were no different that what was shown on the other two floors. With the investigation of the 3rd floor finished, Naegi headed back to the cafeteria to discuss what he had found with the rest of his classmates.

"I'll go ahead and start with my report first." Ishimaru announced. "I did a check of the first floor once again and I discovered that the Nurse's Office that was once closed off is now open!"

"Hold on, where is Togami-kun?" Naegi asked.

The other students took a look around to notice that Togami was indeed missing from the group.

"He's at the Nurse's Office right now. Properly bandaging his knee injury."

Ah yes. The group had almost forgotten about that. Togami has been, for the most part, confined to the first floor ever since Kuramoto had attacked him after the Class Trial. So, it looks like he will be able to move freely again, if given time.

"I did make the discovering of finding an Art Room." Yamada declared. "It was filled with all the tools and materials you need to make any kind of painting or sculpture."

"We also gained access to a recreation room." Celes added. "It even had quite a variety of magazines, but sadly we won't be seeing any new additions."

"There was also the physics lab that had an air purifier in it." Fujisaki added.

"I'm assuming none of ya managed to find anything about an exit or a means of contacting the outside world?" Oowada asked.

As expected, no one had anything to say in regards to that.

"Figures." Oowada said in resignation. "Shoulda known that bear wouldn't make things easy."

The room grew silent once again, realizing that for all of their searching, they still made no progress towards an exit.

"Does anyone else have anything that they want to share?" Ishimaru asked.

"Oh yeah, I managed to find this." Naegi announced.

Naegi laid out the article that he found in the physics prep room. Everyone went over it their expressions filled with a mix of interest and concern.

"What the heck?" Kuwata said.

"A C-Cataclysmic Broadcast?" Fukawa questioned.

"And it occurred over a year ago?" Maiziono, said worryingly.

"It seems to be the case." Kirigiri said. "Whatever this broadcast did, it lead to an event that is called The Tragedy which occurred about a year ago."

"The Tragedy...from what it sounds like, it's an event that has affected a larger of people, yes?" Celes said. "If what the article said is true, then it sounds like there are very few places that have not affected by it."

"Hold up! I may not be the smartest guy around, but I woulda heard of it if somethin' of that big of a scale was goin' on." Oowada spoke.

"Bro's right!" Ishimaru agreed. "If something like that was happening, we surely would have noticed!"

"That's a good point." Fujisaki agreed. "I'm pretty sure that we would have heard about the event on the news or through another source."

"Do you think it might be related to that note that we found in the library?" Naegi said, recalling the note that mentioned Hope's Peak's closure.

"About Hope's Peak Academy being forced to shut down?" Kirigiri confirmed. "It's a possibility, but we won't know for sure until we know what the broadcast and Tragedy are."

"True, it won't do us any good to speculate about this until we find out more about these events in the next episode." Yamada agreed.

"Regardless, that was a good find, Naegi-kun." Kirigiri complemented.

" Oh. ummm. Thank you Kirigiri-san."

"Assuming no one else has anything to add, then the meeting adjourned. Keeps your eyes open and don't hesitate to share if you find anything that be able to help us."

With those words, the group dispersed and everyone began to go their separate ways to their usual daily routine. As routine as one can get being confined in a closed space.

 **Author Notes:** **I hoped you enjoyed and will see you guys on the next part. Another Author out!**

 **Discord: discord. gg/cxtjamr**


	21. Arc 3 Part 2: A New Alliance

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Notes:** **My apologies for being a little late with the update. Despite it being a little late and the chapter being a bit on the shorter end this time, I do hope you will enjoy this chapter.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **JustUsingARandomName: Thank you and yep, that's the major character weakness that Kuramoto has.**

 **Tunak23: I do try to stay within my commitments as much as I can. And I do hope things are getting excit** **ing** **, because soon a lot of the things that went unexplained are going to start being brought to light.**

 **LazyWriterDude: 1. Pretty much Asahina's fate was sealed from the get go. Monokuma only allowed Kuramoto enough time to try and pull her back up to just show him that his efforts were futile.** **2.** **I** **had decided to introduce the new faction to potentially take the story after ADA to a new direction, if people wish to see it continue. 3. As for Kuramoto's trauma, that's more or less one of the big flaws he has due to putting too much pressure on himself (a trait he's carried subconsciously ever since his days as a soldier).**

* * *

 **Location:** **Hope's Peak Academy, Ikusaba's Room**

 **Time:** **1400**

Naegi found himself just outside of Ikusaba's room, with her lunch prepared. He simply rang the doorbell to let Ikusaba know that he was coming in with her lunch, just as he usually did.

"Come in!" Ikusaba said, behind the door, letting Naegi know that it was alright to enter.

Naegi had entered Ikusaba's room, getting the okay to enter. It didn't look all that different from Naegi's room to be entirely honest. Perhaps the biggest difference between his room and Ikusaba's was the collection of airsoft guns that were on one of the room's walls. Ikusaba herself was sitting comfortably on her bed for the time being.

"I brought you lunch." Naegi declared as he set the food on the desk.

"Thank you, Naegi." Ikusaba said.

"How are doing? Is everything ok with the arrangements? Do you need anything?" Naegi asked, worried about Ikusaba and how's she has been.

"Admittedly, it's been quite boring ever since I've been stuck here." Ikusaba answered truthfully. "Otherwise, I'm alright. Thankfully that bear hasn't shown up ever since I've been here, so that's some good news at least."

Naegi sighed in relief. "That's good. If you do need anything, I'll do my best to help you."

"Actually, I do have a question." Ikusaba said with a hint of concern. "Is Fumio-kun okay?

"…."

Naegi hesitated in his answer. He wanted to tell her that he was okay, but he had a feeling that she would see through him and possibly be hurt if he tried to lie.

"To be truthful, he's been going through a hard time right now." Naegi answered truthfully. "From what Kirigiri-san has told me, he's been going through nightmares. Plus, it hasn't been helping that Monokuma has been harassing him every chance he's got."

"..."

Ikusaba looked down grimly. She figured that he wouldn't have taken Asahina's death all that well, but it seems that he was handling it far worse than she had anticipated and Monokuma was only worsening the situation.

"I see, thank you for telling the truth Naegi-kun." Ikusaba thanked. "Just please promise me that you and Kirigiri-san will take care of him to the best of your abilities."

"You got it!" Naegi said beaming brightly. "We'll do our best to help him out."

Ikusaba simply stared at Naegi, almost completely stunned by the genuine smile that he gave to her.

"You ok, Ikusaba-chan?" Naegi asked, wondering by Ikusaba just stared at him.

"Oh, it's nothing." Ikusaba hastily said, now red faced. "Thank you."

With the food delivered and Naegi on a time limit, he decided to leave the room before Monokuma came in and forced him out. With Naegi no longer present, Ikusaba's mind began to wonder.

" _I don't understand. Is this what they call having butterflies in one's stomach? I always tend to react like that whenever I'm around both Naegi-kun and Fumio-kun, but why?"_

Ikusaba pondered for a bit longer to try and find an answer before she felt a sharp pain in her head.

" _What_ _was that?"_ Iksuaba thought.

" _That was weird, that happened as soon as I began to think about Fumio-kun and Naegi-kun."_

It then happened again, only this time it was much stronger this time and along with it, several thoughts began to flood Ikusaba's mind.

" _My name is Makoto Naegi, pleased to meet you."_

" _I am Fumio Kuramoto, the Ultimate Mastermind."_

" _Just go keep an eye on him sis, show me you can at least one thing other can kill right."_

" _What's wrong? if there's something bothering you, you can tell me."_

" _The reason why I like to spend my time with you is because of how similar we are despite the different paths we have walked."_

" _I can hardly believe that my useless sister has actually fallen in love with the first two people that didn't run away from her."_

" _What is that you want, Ikusaba-san?"_

" _Only you can really decide for yourself as to path you want to take. Not me, not your sister, only you."_

" _Get out! Get out of my sight, you traitor!"_

After those thoughts had hit her mind hard, she managed to come back to her immediate surroundings.

" _W-What was that? I…..not sure what exactly that was but….I sure that I've heard those lines before. But…...I can't remember...does our captor have something to do with this?"_

* * *

"It looks like you are finished." Kirigiri commented, meeting Naegi within the hallway.

"Yeah." Naegi said. "It's been exactly the same, just like the last several days. Monokuma seems to be more or less, leaving her be despite being in the same situation as Fumio-kun."

"..."

"Interesting...despite seemingly working for the mastermind, Monokuma's seems to be practically ignoring her." Kirigiri noted.

"But I wonder why?" Naegi thought out loud.

"My guess would be either Monokuma was lying about the motive or Ikusaba's role was nowhere near as significant as he made it out to be." Kirigiri answered.

"We'll meet up again once it's time for dinner." Kirigiri said as she turned to begin to walk away.

"Wait, hold on a second." Naegi said, causing Kirigiri to halt for a second.

"Do you have some free time?" Naegi asked. "If so, do you want to hang out for a little bit?"

This wasn't the first time that Naegi had asked her this question ever since they had got here and it wouldn't be the last. Kirigiri was about ready to simply say that she was busy as per usual, but then she remembered what Kuramoto had said to her the day before he was isolated from the rest of the group.

 **Flashback**

"For now, I would say trust your instincts. You'd be surprised how often they can be right. I don't know as to how much you and Makoto-kun have interacted, but I'll say that he's easily one of the nicest people out of the group by a landslide."

 **End Flashback**

" _I don't think I'll be able to make much progress for now, not without getting another angle to look from, which will be tough without another person or any additional information. It would be good to potentially secure another ally as well and Naegi-kun would be among one of the least likely to be the Mastermind if he or she is hiding among the group."_ Kirigiri thought to herself.

"Alright, I'll suppose I do have a bit of time to spare." Kirigiri said, deciding to hear him out.

Naegi eyes widen in both surprise and excitement.

"Awesome, then let's head to the dining hall. I can make us some tea, Fumio-kun actually taught me a few things about it." Naegi said, almost sprinting his way back to the cafeteria.

" _What's up with him? Isn't this just a moment for us to just spend some time together? He's seems way more excited about it than what he should be."_ Kirigiri thought to herself, puzzled about Naegi's reaction.

Curiosity and uncertainty aside, Kirigiri decided to follow Naegi to the cafeteria. It took some time to properly make the tea that Naegi had proposed, but eventually the two of them settle down for the proposed tea.

"It looks like you weren't kidding, this is actually quite good." Kirigiri complemented.

"Well, I do have Fumio-kun to thank." Naegi sheepishly replied. "He did me a few things that can make the difference between ok tea and well made tea."

"Why have you been so insistent on trying to hang out with me?" Kirigiri asked.

"I have never really seen you interact with anyone else outside of Fumio-kun." Naegi explained. "This whole time you mostly kept to yourself. I thought you may want someone to interact with when you are not going around the school on your own."

"I...can't really disagree with that." Kirigiri spoke up, seeing that Naegi did have a point.

"That mainly is because of the nature of the situation that we were put under." Kirigiri explained. "Complete strangers confined in a closed space and ordered to kill each other. It would have been foolish to trust just anyone. Even trusting Fumio-kun was a bit of a gamble, he could have easily lead in the wrong direction if he was the mastermind or in league with the mastermind."

"I guess you're right." Naegi agreed. "Add in the amnesia issue as well and it make sense that would be wary of others."

Kirigiri simply nodded in concurrence.

"But what about now?" Naegi asked. "Since now that your amnesia is now common knowledge and you have had some time to see who is trustworthy or not."

Kirigiri simply sighed in both annoyance and defeat.

"I guess with my amnesia laid out for all to know, trusting others is less of an issue." Kirigiri answered. "But still, it's not wise to let one's guard down entirely, not while the Mastermind still has plans for us."

"You're right." Naegi looked down, remembering the situation with Maizono. "But still, it wouldn't do us any good to act paranoid towards one another. Otherwise, we will have already lost."

"Exactly. And that's one of the few things that Togami-san fails to realize." Kirgiri agreed. "By constantly throwing around accusations and doing things that creates animosity, he's practically making it that much more likely that more people will end up dying."

" _I don't want to have to agree with Kirigiri's assessment, but I can't ignore that possibility. Creating unneeded tension has already shown that it can drive people to resort to drastic measures."_ Naegi solemnly thought.

"But getting back to the original topic." Kirigiri said, changing subjects. "I suppose your persistence is admirable to say the least. Most would have given up trying to interact with me."

"Why would I do that!?" Naegi said, almost as if it was insulting for Kirigiri to suggest that. "At the end of the day, were all are stuck here together. We should at least try to get to know one another while we are here. If nothing else, it will at least make it that less likely that someone will resort to killing.

"True. Your point does have some merit." Kirigiri concurred.

" _Hmm...so far, he really does seem to be concerned for the majority of the people here, just like Fumio-kun. Not as smart granted, but he could be still be another helpful ally."_ Kirigiri thought to herself.

"Well, since we are on the subject, I suppose there is one thing that I would like to ask of you."

"What is it?" Naegi asked.

"Do you know who the SHSL Fashionista is?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you seemed to know about quite a few of the other Ultimates were when you going around introducing yourself when we got here. That would show that you have done some level of research prior to arriving. I was wondering if you happened to know." Kirigiri explained, remembering Naegi's approach to several of the students at the first day.

Naegi paused for a moment, going over the names that he remembered.

"I think it was Junko Enoshima." Naegi finally answered. "But why do you ask?"

"Let's just say that's something that has been bothering me for a while now."

"By the way, Naegi-kun, if you are interested, there is something that you could do for me." Kirigiri said, as she got a tad bit closer to Naegi.

"Really? What?" Naegi said excitedly.

"I'm currently waiting on Fujisaki-kun to finish up on a task that he's working on. If you want to help out in trying to uncover the school's mysteries, then keep an eye out on your door. I'll leave instructions for you to follow." Kirigiri whispered to Naegi.

"You understand, Naegi-kun?" Kirigiri spoke at a normal volume again.

"Yeah, I understand." Naegi answered.

"Excellent. It's been good talking to you, Naegi-kun, I shall see you later tonight."

With that Kirigiri had left the cafeteria, leaving Naegi wondering what to do with the remainder of his free time.

* * *

 **Location:** **Hope's Peak Academy, Gym**

 **Time: 2050**

Oowada, Ishimaru and Fujisaki were all currently at the gym. After some consideration, Fujisaki had decided to meet up with Oowada and Ishimaru after a brawling session the two of them had at the gym shortly after Kuramoto's removal from the group and requested their assistance to continue to the workout plan that Kuramoto had set up. They had just now finished for the night and was chatting with one another.

"Thank you guys for helping me." Fujisaki thanked the two.

"Think nothin' of it." Oowada said. "Both of my bros would probably kick my ass if he heard that I didn't help you out."

"Bro's right!" Ishimaru agreed. "As the SHSL Prefect, I consider it a responsibility to ensure that I help out my fellow students to the best of my abilities whenever asked to!"

"I'm just happy I'm able to continue to the workout plan that Kuramoto-kun had built for me with friends." Fujisaki said happily.

"Yeah…." Oowada said, looking a bit down.

"What's wrong, Bro?" Ishimaru asked.

"It's nothin'." Oowada tried to change the subject.

"It's obviously something, you're typically not like this." Ishimaru replied.

"If something's bothering you, you can tell us." Fujisaki spoke up, hoping to cheer him up.

"..."

"How do you guys do it?" Oowada asked.

"Huh?" Both Ishimaru and Fujisaki said at the same time.

"How do you guys deal with your weaknesses so well!?" Oowada loudly repeated.

"Every time I think about it, seeing my brother laying there, dying on the street, it just eats away at me. How the hell do you two find the strength to push past that? It irritates me that you two make it look easy. Almost like it's no big deal."

"It isn't easy." Ishimaru explained. "Every day, my family suffers for the mistakes that my grandfather made. I'm constantly reminded of it when my family members are only just able to get by. They could only just barely afford to bring me to the private school. Thankfully, with the after school activities that I participated in, it did help out a little bit. But our living conditions were far from ideal."

"Oh…." Oowada said, instantly regretting his outburst.

"But still, if I don't do anything, the family name is going to forever remain tainted and a blight on the history books! That's why I have to press on!" Ishimaru declared.

"He's right." Fujisaki agreed. "Even now, I'm scared of what will happen once we get out of here. When people find out that I'm actually a guy. It's going to be hard to have to face them once again."

"If anything of 'em says somethin' bad about you, I'll have no problem kicking their asses!" Oowada responded.

"But that's why I think things will turn out okay." Fujisaki continued.

"Huh?"

"It's because we can lean on each other when things get bad, we become far stronger than if we were to go at it alone. So, that's why I think things will turn out okay." Fujisaki elaborated.

"I guess…..you do have a point." Oowada replied. "Thanks guys, you really do seem to know how to cheer a man up."

"It's no trouble at all." Ishimaru said. "That's what bros are for, right?"

"Took the words right outta my mouth." Oowada answered.

"I'm glad I was able to help." Fujisaki spoke up.

"Anyways, as much as I'd like to stick around, I do need to get going, I'm going to be meet up with a few others before the nighttime announcement. Thanks again and I will see you guys tomorrow." Fujisaki said, waving to both Oowada and Ishimaru.

* * *

 **Location:** **Hope's Peak Academy, Kirigiri's Room**

 **Time: 2130**

Kirigiri was sitting within her room. She was going over the notes that has taken down in order to try and figure out the mysterious behind the school.

*DING DONG*

 **"** _Someone's here?"_

Kirigiri went to her bedroom door to see that a note had been left for her. She quickly went to check if anyone was nearby the door itself only to find that nobody was there. Whoever it was must have simply rung the bell in order to grab her attention. Kirigiri picked it up to see what the note had said.

* * *

 _It is ready. Please meet at the Bathhouse and make sure to bring a towel._

* * *

The message was pretty simple and to the point which was to be expected, if Kirigiri's assumption on who the note belonged to was correct. Kirigiri simply took the note as well as a towel and headed out to the bathhouse.

At the bathhouse, Fujisaki was already there waiting for Kirigiri to show up. Fujisaki also had with him the labtop that was from the library.

"I'm glad I managed to catch you before nighttime." Fujisaki said relieved.

"After exploring all that I could of the third floor, I'm not finding much else for right now, so I decided to turn in a little early before trying again tomorrow." Kirigiri said. "But before you show me, there is someone else that will be showing up as well."

"Huh?"

It was then that Naegi had stepped into the bathhouse with a towel and the note that Kirigiri had received. He was surprised to find that both Kirigiri and Fujisaki were present.

"What's going on? The note said that it was ready?" Naegi asked, clearly confused.

"Fujisaki-kun has something that he wants to show us." Kirigiri cleared up.

Naegi directed his attention to Fujisaki, looking for confirmation.

"Yeah, just give me a second." Fujisaki confirmed. He began to to type away at the laptop with blistering speeds. After about a minute or two, Fujisaki had stopped and it was revealed that the computer screen's contents to Naegi and Kirigiri. What was currently displayed on the monitor was, to the surprise of both Naegi and Kirigiri, Fujisaki's head.

"I have managed to create an artificial intelligence that's been decoding the files that were found on this computer. I call it Alter Ego." Fujisaki explained. "It has just managed to finish up decoding the files."

"Let's see what he has found out." Kirigiri spoke up.

With that said, Fujisaki began to type on the laptop to begin revealing the information that was contained within the laptop.

"Alright, I'll do my best to summarize the files' contents." Alter Ego began to speak. "From what I am seeing, the school was in the midst of carrying out a project with the objective of isolating the students and have them live together within the academy. If I'm reading this right, this project was built with the intent of being able to keep the students alive and inside the academy their whole lives."

"But that's that same situation that we are in right now!" Naegi protested, realizing the similarity.

"Furthermore, the project itself was founded by Hope's Peak Academy's Administrative Office." Alter Ego continued.

"So, we were actually trapped here not by some maniac or malicious organization.." Fujisaki said.

"But the school itself!?" Naegi cried out.

"It doesn't look like Alter Ego is finished just yet." Kirigiri reminded the two of them.

"An incident that occurred one year ago was the reason that the project was formed. It is known as The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History or more simply known as The Tragedy. From what I've managed to find, The Tragedy was immensely horrific and tragic incident and Hope's Peak Academy, as an educational facility, was forced to shutdown as a result of that incident." Alter Ego continued explaining.

"So that's the connection." Kirigiri spoke. "The Tragedy formed as a result of The Broadcast. Shortly afterwards, Hope's Peak had to shut down and the school itself was used as a backdrop in order to keep students inside the facility."

"Even still, it doesn't answer as to what exactly The Tragedy and Broadcast are. Nor why the school decided to trap us here." Naegi brought up.

As a response to Naegi's inquiries, Fujisaki hastily began to type once more.

"Unfortunately, there's only three additional details I was able to find that is connected to The Tragedy. The first is The Tragedy had instigated due to a world wide broadcast of explaining a horrible truth. This particular event is known by most as simply The Broadcast. The second is that The Tragedy had an effect on the entire world, there isn't any known places that haven't been affected by it in someway. Lastly, while it isn't anything conclusive, the documents contained here show that the school was suspecting that a former male student of Hope's Peak Academy was responsible for The Broadcast." Alter Ego answered.

"A former male student?" Naegi repeated.

" _Odd, didn't the note that Fumio-kun show me say that_ _the person he was investigating was female?_ _Could the person that he was investigating be unrelated or possibly be a different threat altogether?_ _"_ Kirigiri thought to herself, puzzled at this revelation.

"Well, at least we have something to keep in mind as far as a suspect goes. Plus, the information seems to be consistent with the note you found and the letter to the Hope's Peak staff." Kirgiri concluded.

"Did you manage to find anything else?" Fujisaki asked.

"Sorry. That's all that I was able to obtain from the decoded files." Alter Ego reported.

The three of them were all a bit dejected from hearing those words. But there was nothing that any of them could do about for now.

"I'll keep trying to see if I can find anything else from the computer or see if Alter Ego can be of additional assistance." Fujisaki stated.

"Well, that was quite the find and it's nice to be able to get some confirmation on a few things." Kirigiri asserted.

"At the very least, we now know that the school itself set up the academy to be like this. And we may have a possible lead on a suspect. But that still doesn't answer the as to what The Tragedy is, why Hope's Peak decided to confine us here or who's the one responsible for forcing us to kill each other." Naegi summarized.

"You have a point." Fujisaki agreed, pondering on what to make of this new information.

 ***DING DONG DING DONG***

 **"** **Ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 10PM. Nighttime is now in effect. The cafeteria will soon be locked and entry at that point will be strictly prohibited. Upupupupupupu. Goood nnnniiiiiigghhtt."**

"It looks like our time is up. We'll have to leave it as it is for now." Kirigiri said. "Naegi-kun, Fujisaki-kun, I bid you goodnight."

With that Kirigiri, left the bathhouse.

"It's alright, Naegi-kun. I'll going to just lock up this laptop so no one else can reach it and follow suit." Fujisaki said, seeing that Naegi was still around.

"Ok, goodnight, Fujisaki-san." Naegi told Fujisaki before leaving as well.

Once the three of them successfully made it back to their rooms, they all decided to head to sleep and call it a night.

* * *

 **Author Notes:** **That's it for this part.** **I hoped you enjoyed and will see you guys on the next part. Another Author out!**


	22. Memories I: First Day

**Disclaimer:** **Danganronpa belongs to Spike Chunsoft and their respective associates. I do not own any of Danganronpa's characters or other creations.**

 **Author Notes:** **I know it's been a long time since I last posted a chapter. A combination of hitting a brick wall with writing, things getting busy and a few other changes in life doesn't do well for one's writing pace. But anyways, I am slowly starting to get back into the swing of things, so with any luck I will be able to get back into a regular update schedule. But I will say this though, regardless as to how long it will take, I will see to it that this story will be completed.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Kevito100** **:** **Yeah, yeah. I know I do tease around the ships quite a bit. But to be fair, I am trying to stay true to the series which does that quite a bit and I do try to make the ships at least somewhat believable. Besides, once the ships are finalized, doesn't it makes all the teasing and hinting at it worth it in the end?**

* * *

 _ **1 Apr 2010, two years prior to present day**_

"Kuramoto-kun?"

"Kuramoto-kun, can you hear me?"

With that, Naegi had managed to Kuramoto snapped out of the train of though that he had. The school ceremony had just concluded a little while ago and the two of them were on their way to head to their home room now that they have changed into their school uniforms.

Before Kuramoto's train of thought was interrupted, he was looking at the Class Roster of his classmates. In the end, his overall earlier assessment on who his classmates would be was correct, but there still weren't a few names that he did not recognize and there was also the Bravo Class as well that he did not account for.

* * *

 _Class 78 – A_

 _Asahina, Aoi - SHSL Swimmer_

 _Fujisaki, Chihiro - SHSL Programmer_

 _Fukawa, Toko - SHSL Literature Writer_

 _Hagakure, Yasuhiro - SHSL Shaman_

 _Ikusaba, Mukuro - SHSL Soldier_

 _Ishimaru, Kiyotaka - SHSL Prefect_

 _Kirigiri, Kyoko – SHSL Detective_

 _Kuramoto, Fumio – SHSL Mastermind_

 _Kuwata, Leon – SHSL All-Star_

 _Ludenberg, Celestia – SHSL High Roller_

 _Maizono, Sayaka – SHSL Idol_

 _Naegi, Makoto – SHSL Luckster_

 _Ogami, Sakura – SHSL Martial Artist_

 _Oowada, Mondo – SHSL Biker Gang Leader_

 _Togami, Byakuya – SHSL Scion_

 _Yamada, Hifumi – SHSL Doujin Writer_

 _Class 78-B_

 _Enoshima, Junko – SHSL Gyaru_

 _Hanamura, Teruteru – SHSL Cook_

 _Koizumi, Mahiru – SHSL Photographer_

 _Komaeda, Nagito – SHSL Luckster_

 _Kuzuryu, Fuyuhiko – SHSL Yakuza_

 _Mioda, Ibuki – SHSL Musician_

 _Mitari, Ryota – SHSL Animator_

 _Nanami, Chiaki – SHSL Gamer_

 _Nevermind, Sonia – SHSL Princess_

 _Nidai, Nekomaru – SHSL Team Manager_

 _Owari, Akane – SHSL Gymnaist_

 _Pekoyama, Peko – SHSL Swordswoman_

 _Saionji, Hiyoko – SHSL Traditional Dancer_

 _Soda, Kazuichi – SHSL Mechanic_

 _Tanaka, Gundam – SHSL Breeder_

 _Tsumiki, Mikan – SHSL Nurse_

* * *

"It is a tad bit strange, though." Kuramoto said, looking over the list again. "I was under the impression that there was only one Luckster per year."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that myself." Naegi said, also looking at the class roster.

"Perhaps...it's for a different reason." Kuramoto suggested. "After all, since they had a room with your name on it and uniform prepared for you, that implies that they knew who you were and that you were coming. So, it can't be because of a simple fluke."

As the two of them were making their way towards the classroom, they noticed that two people were already within the main hallway that would split off Class 78-A and Class 78-B

One had purple almost gray eyes with short black hair. The other had blond hair that was in twin ponytails with bright blue eyes. The two of them noticing that there were people approaching them, turned towards Naegi and Kuramoto's direction. The blonde girl in particular seemed to have an interest with Kuramoto. Once Kuramoto had locked with her as well, to them, it was as though the everything else had stopped completely in their tracks.

From Kuramoto's viewpoint, he immediately recognized those types of eyes. They were ones that were filled with malice and ill intent. They were the eyes of something that was both extremely smart and manipulative. He knew right away that whoever the person was, they were extremely dangerous. Arguably, the most dangerous person he has yet to meet face to face.

From her perspective, this person was an enigma. He, just like her, was person who held a very high level of intelligence. To a degree that's greater than what he probably lets on. But she knew behind those eyes held a lot of pain. Enough pain that most people would have been broken because of it and yet, despite that, she knew that this person hasn't given up.

"Kuramoto-kun, are you okay?" Naegi asked.

That question brought Kuramoto out his stare down with the other girl. The whole brief analysis the two of them had made for one another had occurred in the span of about a few seconds. To the others, it looked like the two of them have stared off into one another for a small period of time.

"Yes. I'm fine, sorry about that. I do tend to space out from time to time thinking about something." Kuramoto replied, directing his attention back to Naegi.

"I see..." Naegi said, unsure as to what to think of that.

"So, who are these mortals that stand before us?" The blonde girl asked, her voice changing and a crown now donning her head.

Both Naegi and Kuramoto were taken aback by the sudden question.

"Oh...um...my name is Makoto Naegi." Naegi replied, taken aback a bit.

"And what exactly do you have to show for yourself?" The blonde girl asked.

"Huh?" Naegi said, confused.

"My sister is asking what talent do you have." The other girl clarified.

"Oh...It's luck. I'm the SHSL Luckster." Naegi said.

"Wow….talk about depressing." Junko stated, her persona changing again, this time as someone who was very depressed.

Naegi simply looked down, being all too aware of how painfully out of place he was being here at Hope's Peak.

"Is she always like this?" Kuramoto asked the dark-haired girl.

The girl simply nodded her head in response.

"I'm just kidding! It's nice to meet you, Naegi-kun." The blond girl said, changing to an almost sickly level of sweet personality.

"Really?" Naegi asked.

"Of course! I didn't think the Luckster in my sister's class would be so cute!" Enoshima said, stepping into Naegi's personal space.

"Umm...thanks?" Naegi said, red-faced and giving an awkward smile, unsure as to how to respond to Enoshima.

The dark haired girl had blushed almost immediately after Naegi had smiled. Something that hadn't gone unnoticed by either Kuramoto nor the blonde girl.

Said blonde girl turned to look at Kuramoto and was, once again, surprised. Outside of the question he asked a moment ago, he had remained quiet the entire time, but what really drew her attention was the way his eyes looked and was as though his mind was moving at the speed of a supercomputer, trying to take every last bit of information about the situation and trying to processing all of it.

"And what about Mr. Brooding over there?" The blonde girl asked, turning towards Kuramoto.

"Courtesy dictates that you introduce yourself first before asking someone their name." Kuramoto stated.

The blonde girl froze for a moment, her expression changing to a completely blank one. It was very subtle, but Kuramoto's eyes gave away hints of caution as well as hostility. Her blank expression didn't didn't last long though, she recovered quickly, changing back to her queen persona.

"My. My. This mortal is quite brave. For your bravery, I shall reward you with the knowledge of my name: Junko Enoshima, officially titled as the SHSL Gyaru, more colloquially known has the Ultimate Fashionista."

Kuramoto turned towards the other girl, expecting an introduction from here as well.

"And this here is Mukuro Ikusaba, my older twin sister!" Enoshima boisterously announced, changing personalities again.

"Wait, you two are twins with different last names?" Naegi asked.

"Don't ask." Both Enoshima and Ikusaba said at the same time.

 _"Odd..."_ Kuramoto thought, but nevertheless, the introduction was sufficient for him.

"I am Fumio Kuramoto, the SHSL Mastermind." Kuramoto said.

"SHSL Mastermind?" Enoshima repeated, putting on glasses, switching to yet another personality. "As in the type of villians that are known for working in the shadows and being experts in planning and strategies?"

"Something to that effect." Kuramoto said.

"Ah. We don't have that much time remaining. We should get going." Naegi brought up, interrupting the conversation.

Kuramoto took a look at a clock that was in the hallway and realized that he was right. They had only about five minutes to get to class.

"Looks like you're right. Naegi-san, you go on ahead. I'll catch up with you." Kuramoto replied.

"Huh, but class will be starting real soon." Naegi objected.

"Don't worry, I'm just heading to the restroom. I won't be long." Kuramoto reassured.

Naegi sighed and nodded in response and went on ahead towards the hallway. Kuramoto took one last look at Enoshima before heading back the way he came prior to meeting the twins.

"Fumio Kuramoto….." Enoshima said, staring at Kuramoto once he had disappeared.

Enoshima began to giggle in glee.

"He knows, without a doubt." Enoshima declared, now giving a smile befitting a psychopath.

"He knows?" Ikusaba repeated, not sure as to what Junko meant.

"He saw my true self. Those eyes we positively filled with hostility and fierceness, drastically different from when he was addressing yourself and Naegi-kun." Enoshima explained, starting to salivate remembering the look Kuramoto gave her. "Granted, I doubt he knows of my love for despair specifically, but he definitely saw right past the masks I wore."

"Should we get rid of him, then?" Ikusaba asked, her eyes glaring towards the direction Kuramoto had headed.

"No…he's got my interest." Enoshima replied, surprising her sister. "I have heard whispers of him before, but this is the first time meeting him in person. A veritable genius that's has involvement in the destruction of Engee Studios and the Kasa Pharmaceutical Company. If that's really him, then in addition to his intelligence, he will also have a lot of connections. That is something I'd rather not throw away if I don't have to. Besides, I saw it. He hides within him pain. More pain that what most people should be able to withstand and yet…he's still not in despair. I really want to see what he looks like once his resolve is broken!" She finished, growing more and excited, thinking about it.

"It's frustrating that we are not in the same class, though." Enoshima pouted. "I'd like to actually see what he'd be like if that was the case."

Enoshima folder her arms for a minute, pacing around until she finally spoke up again.

"Mukuro-nee, keep an eye on him."

"Huh?"

"If I plan to bring him into despair, then I need to learn everything that I can about him, including what he is like with day to day interactions. Given that he became a lot more guarded when he was talking to me, he will be less likely to give away any information about him that can potentially be exploited if I try to pry information at the start."

"So, you want me to spy on him and report anything I learn back to you?" Ikusaba asked, trying to confirm what Enoshima said.

Enoshima sighed heavily in response to the obvious question.

"Yes! That's exactly what I want you to do. Just go keep an eye on him! Show me that you can do something other than kill right."

Ikusaba put her head down in defeat before walking off to class. She didn't want to argue and possibly further aggravate her sister anymore than she already was.

* * *

Kuramoto had made his way towards the restroom. Once he was sure that nobody else was present, he took out his phone to make an important call which was the real reason why he separated from Naegi and the others.

" _It may be overkill to do this, but if Enoshima-san is as dangerous as my instincts are telling me, then letting her procure any information about me and my connections to those in the Criminal Investigation team I'm a part of is something that I cannot risk._ _I'll need Yochi's help for this._ _"_ Kuramoto thought to himself, beginning to dial a number on his phone.

After some time, the person he had intended to call had answered.

"Yankee, this is Foxtrot Kilo." Kuramoto spoke up.

"Yankee here. I presume this is a business request?" Yochi answered back.

"Indeed. I want to execute contingency plan Alpha Alpha Delta." Kuramoto requested.

"Are you sure?" Yochi requested.

"Yes, if the person I just crossed paths with is even as half as dangerous as I am presuming, this just might the most dangerous foe I have yet to encounter."

"Very well, consider it done within 24 hours." Yochi confirmed.

"Just a side note: Manual records will naturally take a bit longer for the changes to reflect." He added.

"That's fine. I understand.

Thank you." Kuramoto replied.

"I trust the payment will be the usual?" Yochi asked.

"Of course."

"Understood. Pleasure doing business with you." Yochi stated, hanging up.

" _Alright, now that that's taken care of, I just have to make sure that my physical records match my new ones here at the school and I should be good."_ Kuramoto thought to himself, plotting his next move.

* * *

Kuramoto had managed to make it to the classroom with about two minutes to spare. For the moment, it looked like everyone else was chatting and interacting with someone or otherwise clearly wanted to be left by themselves, so Kuramoto decided to sit down and take a seat for himself. Despite the fact, that class was soon starting shortly, their homeroom teacher had yet to arrive.

A couple minutes have passed and they heard the classroom door open, and the familiar sound of heels clicking filling the room. Everyone looked and saw a woman in her late 30s enter the room. She had long dark blonde hair that was let down. She was currently wearing a black suit with a blue tie, a business skirt and leggings with blue heels.

"How do you all do? My name is Marie Belamy. You're homeroom teacher for this year." She greeted with a professional tone.

A few of the students gave a few looks of both surprise and confusion. They were certainly not expecting their homeroom teacher to be a foreigner. Kuramoto was surprised as well, albeit for an entirely different reason.

"Now judging by your looks, you're all probably curious that this school has an English teacher. Well, due to the nature of the school itself, even the faculty will need to expand its search beyond Japan's borders from time to time. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask." Marie said.

"Now, since this is the first say, let's go ahead and start with introductions. Since you will spending the next several years among yourselves, it would be to get to know your classmates and start off the beginning of the school years on the right foot." Marie continued. "Please, use this class period to go around the room and introduce yourselves to your classmates. After you are done, you may use the remaining time of this class however you so wish, provided you stay within the classroom. "

Upon hearing those words, the entire class had gotten from their seats and began to introduce themselves to one another.

Almost immediately, Kuramoto, Ikusaba and Naegi had turned towards one another due to their close proximity.

"So, what shall we do?" Naegi asked.

"I guess we wait here and let to others come to us for now." Kuramoto said. "If needed, we'll eventually get up and move around to introduce ourselves to the others."

"I had a question for you, Kuramoto-san." Ikusaba spoke up.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering...Do you know how to fight?" Ikusaba asked.

"Yes I do." Kuramoto curtly replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I just have the impression that you have way more experience in fighting than what your talent highlights." Ikusaba said, giving Kuramoto a scrutinizing look.

"Well...I have been training since I was young." Kuramoto explained. "And I made sure to devote myself to it once I started getting older, realizing that I would begin to make many enemies due to my intellectual capacity and my refusal to be subjugated by anyone."

Ikusaba's attention was grabbed when she felt her phone vibrate. She grab a hold of it and saw that her sister sent something to her. It was a short message.

 _"Have Kuramoto-kun meet me in the library just after class."_

"What is it?" Kuramoto asked.

"My sister wants to meet you after class."

 _"Interesting..."_ Kuramoto thought, his mind mixed with concern and curiosity.

"Excuse me." someone else spoke up.

The three of them turned to find that a blue haired, blue eyed girl was addressing. More specifically, she seemed to be interested in Naegi.

"Are you Makoto Naegi?" She asked.

"Yeah." Naegi answered.

" Did you happen to attend Sixth Black Root Middle School?"

"Yes, I did." Naegi said, surprised at that question.

"It really is you." She stated, just as surprised as Naegi. "Do you remember me? We went to the same school."

"How could I forget? Even back then, you were still really popular, Maizono-san. But I'm more surprised that you remember me." Naegi replied.

"We were in the same school. It's a bit hard to forget about you. Besides, I was actually hoping to for a chance to talk to you." Maizono said.

"Really?"

"Intriguing, those two seem to know each other." Kuramoto said, piqued with interest, staying within the sidelines of the conversation between Maizono and Naegi. He turned towards Ikusaba, who had seemed to drown him out. She was giving an intense stare at the two of them.

"You okay, Ikusaba-san?" Kuramoto asked.

That seemed to get Ikusaba's attention.

"Oh...um. It's nothing..." Ikusaba said, a bit embarrassed. "I...need to go introduce myself to the other students." Ikusaba then took off toward another group of students without so much as another word.

"That was quite the surprise. Who would have thought the SHSL Soldier would act like that?" Another voice had said, clearly interested in the scene.

This time, it was a girl in what appeared to be in gothic clothing that was directly addressing Kuramoto.

"I suppose so. I'm guessing you must Celestia Lundenberg." Kuramoto addressed the girl.

"Yes. That's me." Celes answered. "I'm surprised you already know who I am as well getting my name's pronunciation correct."

"I did plenty of research prior to coming here. I am the SHSL Mastermind, after all." Kuramoto answered.

"So, you are Fumio Kuramoto? Nice to meet you. I have a feeling we will be getting along nicely." Celes answered.

"Only time will tell Ludenberg-san." Kuramoto said.

"Please, just Celes." Celes insisted. "Now, if you will excuse me, I've got to greet the other classmates." Celes then began to make her way towards another group of students that formed.

The rest of the class period continued like this, each of the students introducing themselves to one another. Eventually, the school bell had chimed, signaling the end of the class. Everyone started to take their leave. Kuramuto was ready to get up when Marie spoke up.

"Kuramuto-kun. A moment if I may." She said.

"Oh. Sure Bellamy-sensei."Kuramoto answered.

The two of them waited for the rest of the class to leave and once the door had closed, signaling that the last person had left, Marie took a quick look at her cell phone. After a moment...

"We're clear." Marie spoke.

"You know, I'm quite surprised that you would be here, of all places, Marie." Kuramoto said, dropping the honorifics. "Not exactly the first place I had in mind when thinking of a reunion."

"So you really do remember us. Indeed, it is interesting to see you here as well." Marie replied.

"How could I forget?" Kuramoto rhetorically asked. "It's precisely because of you and Alexis that I managed to create the case in order to permanently put Engee Studios out of business. So, what brings the two of you here?"

"Miss Byrnes and I are investigating Hope's Peak for suspicious behavior. I was wondering if you happened to know anything about possible suspicious activities?" Marie asked, getting straight to the point.

"Sadly, since I only just got here and only recently began doing research, I haven't had much time to begin looking into matters. All I've managed to acquire is simply rumors and hearsay so far." Kuramoto replied.

"I see." Marie said, disappointed. "I figured you might know something, especially considering the recent creation of the Reserve Course and Hope's Peak Elementary don't follow the conventional rules of getting into their branches." Marie explained.

"Which would be by being scouted by the school itself, correct?" Kuramoto recalled.

"Correct," Marie confirmed. "However, what's truly concerning is that despite the costly fee in order to get into either program, the vast majority of that money is unaccounted for.

"So, in other words, it's highly likely that whatever it's been used for, it's something that they don't want the public to know about." Kuramoto concluded.

"Precisely." Marie answered.

"Interesting..." Kuramoto said, now curious about the situation. "To be honest, while I was planning on investigating the school myself as more of a mere side project. But after hearing that and now knowing that some old acquaintances of mine have an invested interest in this as well, it seems now that's been pushed up quite a few steps in the levels of priority. Well at least, having some allies to work with in this particular investigation will making getting to the bottom of this mystery a heck of a lot easier."

"Can't say I disagree with that. Very well, if you find anything, inform me or Miss Byrnes immediately and we will mutually return our own findings." Marie offered.

"Copy that." Kuramoto said. "Oh, if I don't see her first, please tell Alexis I said hello."

"I will see to that." Marie replied. "That will be all for now." She finished.

With the conversation over, Kuramoto turned to leave the room. Marie went to her desk and began to shift through some of the teacher paperwork when she heard her phone ring. She went to take a look at who it was only to see the caller ID simply be shown as 'M'. She immediately answered the call.

"How are managing to integrate so far, agent?" M asked.

"No trouble so far, ma'am. I'm currently trailing another employee, Chisa Yukizome. Her being here is too is just a bit too much of a coincidence, especially given that Juzo Sakukura and Kyosuke Munakata both joined the staff as well at near identical times as well. "

"According to the profiles that I have on them, they all graduated from the school a few years ago." M brought up.

"That's right. For all three of them to return like this right around the same time we started getting intel that something's amiss here at the school only adds to the suspicion that something is truly wrong with this campus." Marie replied. "Oh yes, in addition to that, I just learned that Fumio Kuramoto is in the class I am teaching and he's agreed to assist us." She added.

"The private investigator? Acknowledged." M responded. "While Agent Byrnes keeps an eye on the students, you will keep monitoring Miss Yukizome to see what she is after. As for Mr. Kuramoto, keep an eye on him, but otherwise, let him investigate and see what he manages to come up with. He's proven himself to be trustworthy in the past, so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt until a reason present itself to believe otherwise. Whatever happens, do watch your back, Agent Bellamy. I fear there is much more at stake that what we are currently seeing."

"Understood. We will get to the bottom of this. " Marie said.

"Good. Signing out." M said.

Marie hung up her phone and turned the face the classroom exit, wondering as to what kind of secret this school could be hiding.

* * *

Kuramoto finally managed to make his way towards the library just as Ikusaba had told him. Admittedly, he was quite worried considering what he had saw in Enoshima, but his inquisitive nature overrode his fears. Not to mention, even if she was willing to try and pull something, he's got confirmed allies inside the school that would undoubtedly ruin her day the moment they caught wind of something.

"So, you really did decide to show up? You either must be pretty confident or reckless." A voice spoke behind Kuramoto. He turned to find that Enoshima was there and as far as Kuramoto could tell, she had dropped the act she was putting up earlier.

"What is you want from me?" Kuramoto said, wanting to get to the point.

"What do I want?" Enoshima repeated, stepping closer towards Kuramoto. "I want to find what it is that keeps you going and completely tear it away from you so that only despair remains."

If Kuramoto wasn't certain that Enoshima had dropped the act before, he was now. Her wide smile and the dangerous glint that was in her eyes left no room for doubt that Enoshima was nothing short of psychotic.

"You're mad." He simply replied, stepping away from Enoshima.

"And you have my interest." Enoshima responded. "After all, not many people can so easily see past my facade the way you did and I can always use a new toy."

"You really expect me to comply with such demands?" Kuramoto replied, not trying to show signs of visible disgust from her previous comment.

"Of course I don't. Not yet anyway." Enoshima happily answered. "That's precisely why you have my attention in the first place. You are someone that has shown resistance to my usual methods. I'm looking forward to see how long you will last before you change your mind."

"And you said _I_ was confident?" Kuramoto said. "You must be brimming with it if you seriously think you will simply walk away from this or that I'd ever agree to working with you."

"I can and you will." Enoshima decreed. "Plus, who exactly will believe you?" She asked. "Even if you did have allies that could potential ruin my plans, you will need evidence in order to make any moves, something that will you come to learn that is something you won't have an easy time obtaining. And good luck trying to convince the others about me, I just so I happen to be a pretty persuasive woman."

Despite his irritation, he knew that she was right. He needed evidence if he was going to bring her down. And unfortunately, one singular testimony was not going to do the trick. Seeing that he didn't have a response, Enoshima simply walked towards the library's exit, leaving Kuramoto to wonder as to how he is going to combat this dangerous individual.

* * *

 **Author Notes:** **Huge shoutout to Host1418 for allowing me to bring his** **OC** **s** **into the story.** **I hoped you enjoyed and will see you guys on the next part. Another Author out!**


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